Trial of the innocent
by LittleMonkeyDog
Summary: The A-team has been captured. They are locked up in a heavily guarded stockade to await their trial. Murdock and their loved ones try to prove their innocence. Will they succeed or is this the end of the A-team?
1. Chapter 1

**Trial of the innocent**

 **A/N:** First of all, I do not owe any of the characters of the A-Team. This story is entirely fictional, but it is somewhat loosely based on the episode 'Trial by Fire' (season 5).

Intro: The A-team has been caught and they are locked up in a maximum secured stockade to await their trial. Stockwell will also play a part in this story, but there will be no Frankie Santana (didn't like the character). Murdock attends the trial and he will be accompanied by the love interests of his friends: Maggie Sullivan (Hannibal) and Zowie Stockwell (Face/OC) as well as B.A.'s mum.

 **Chapter 1**

It was the first day of their big trial. The team was already dressed up in their military costume. Face was a nervous wreck. He had hardly slept that night. The lawyer he had managed to hire was not convinced off their innocence and that had him worried. He had also mentioned that the case against them was pretty strong and that they hardly stood a chance. He had advised for them to plead guilty to the charges of robbery and desertion. Hannibal was worried too, but tried not to show this to his men. He had to maintain his image of the strong leader.

"Are you doing okay, kid?" He asked his Lieutenant. "Did you at least get some sleep last night?"

"Yeah, fine," Face lied. "Slept like a baby."

"You ain't foolin' me, Faceman," B.A. answered. "You was tossin' and screamin' all night."

"I just somehow have a very bad feeling about this," Face admitted.

"We're not giving up without a fight, Face," Hannibal said patting Face's shoulder. "It's not over yet."

They were being escorted to the courthouse and seated. Face looked around at the people who showed up at their trial. He noticed Murdock enter the room and both men looked at one another. Murdock – despite being so-called insane – was by far Face's best friend and they didn't need words to express how they were feeling. Murdock immediately noticed the fear in his friend's eyes. He crossed his fingers as if to tell Face not to lose hope. Maggie Sullivan and Zowie Stockwell and B.A.'s mom also came walking into the court room and sat down beside Murdock. Zowie's eyes immediately found Face's blue ones. He tried to con her with his famous million dollar smile, but she saw right through it. She noticed straight away how tensed he actually was.

He absolutely didn't look his usual handsome self. His complexion was pale and he had dark rims underneath his beautiful, usually sparkling blue eyes. Zowie could tell that he had hardly slept. How she had wanted to pull him in her arms and hug him and assure him everything would be alright. But she couldn't! She made a heart sign with her hands and mouthed an 'I love you'. He smiled softly.

As their lawyer wanted to go over some stuff with them before the trail started, Face was forced to turn back around and face the rest of his unit. Zowie talked quietly to Murdock and Maggie. They all agreed that Face looked terrible and the trial was yet to start. It would become even harder for him. They agreed that something needed to be done. Zowie knew some people with a thorough knowledge of the law who could help them out. She snuck out of the court room to place a few calls and entered again right before the actual trial started.

"And?" Murdock asked. "Did you find your answers?"

"Sure did," she said smiling. "It should be no problem. As this is a court martial, we can ask for them to have some private time a day with a loved one or member of the family. They can't refuse that. So this means that Maggie can spend some time with Hannibal, Mrs. Baracus can spend some time with B.A. and I can get to spend time with Temp."

"That's good news," Murdock agreed. He knew they wouldn't allow him to spend time with his friends. "Facey could really use your support."

"I'll go and inform their lawyer about the good news," Zowie said.

She ran towards Mr. Conway and filled him in on what she had found out.

"Miss Stockwell, that's excellent thinking of you," he said. "It is in these men's best interest that they spend quality time alone with a family member or a loved one. I'll ask the judge for this favor straight away and he has to agree indeed."

"Thanks, Mr. Conway," Zowie stated. "Would it be okay if I hug Temp briefly?"

"Temp?" Mr. Conway asked not knowing who she referred too exactly.

"Lieutenant Templeton Peck," she said. "He is my boyfriend."

She looked at Face and smiled. He smiled back at her unsure of what was going on, but he knew his girlfriend was up to something.

"Sure. I don't see why not," he said. "I think he needs all the support he can get right now. Go ahead! You have my consent."

Zowie quickly moved over to Face. He turned around in his chair and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you, Zowie," he whispered in her ear. She noticed how his voice was trembling.

"I love you too, Temp," she answered him. "Don't ever lose your courage. Okay? Promise me. It's not over. We'll do our best to get you out of here."

"I'll do my best," he whispered.

"I have a surprise for you," she said. "You'll be happy! I'm sure! And you'll find out what it is very soon."

She softly pressed a loving kiss to his cheek and went back to her seat. The trial was now starting. Hannibal, B.A. and Face had to stand up as the judge and jury arrived. As soon as everyone was seated, Mr. Conway addressed the judge with Zowie's special favor.

"As this is a Court Martial and these men have not been able to live a normal life for years, we would request for them to be allowed to spend 3 hours a day with a family member in private. We have researched this request thoroughly and we believe it is in these men's best interest."

"Mr. Conway," the judge started. "I will have to sustain this request, but I do see a problem. Isn't Lieutenant Peck supposed to be an orphan? I don't think any family members were located up to now. But he also has the right to spend time with someone. I can't exclude him from this request."

"We already figured that one out, your Honor," Mr. Conway spoke. "Our sources have confirmed that they can also spend time with a loved one. Lieutenant Peck is indeed an orphan and we have no whereabouts about his family whatsoever, but what we do know is that he has a loved one. The same rule should apply to Colonel Smith as he has lost all connection to his family, but also has a loved one at the moment. Sergeant Baracus on the other hand has is mother."

"Alright Mr. Conway. That looks to be a suitable solution to the problem," the judge said. "You request will be sustained. As of today, these men will be allowed to spend time alone with either a family member or a loved one as stated."

He accepted the note with the names of the people involved written upon it and read them out loud. "Colonel John Hannibal Smith will be allowed to spend family time with Miss Maggie Sullivan. Lieutenant Templeton Arthur Peck will be allowed to spend family time with Miss Zowie Stockwell and Sergeant Bosco Barracus will be allowed to spend family time with Mrs. Baracus. The family time they're allowed to spend will be 3 hours on a daily basis and will be spent in a private room provided by the military with no guards present in the rooms."

"Some girl you've got there," Hannibal said to Face. "I wonder where she learned about this. We'll be forever in her debt."

"Yeah man. She's good," B.A. answered. "Never thought I could spend time with momma no more."

"Yeah. She's some girl for sure," Face answered happily. He was glad he would be spending at least a few hours a day with her. "I just wish I would have met her a little earlier."

Zowie, Maggie and Murdock cheered silently in their seats and glanced at Mrs. Baracus who was crying but also smiling at the same time. Murdock knew how close Scooter and his mom really were and that she was grateful for every minute she got to spend with him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The trial finally started.

The prosecutor came up with a so-called report on Morrison being murdered prior to the enemy shelling. Mr. Conway wasn't too happy with this document presented to him during the trial and tried to argue with the judge about its authenticity, but it didn't help.

"Morrison was still very much alive when we left for Hanoi," Hannibal whispered to him. "We only learned of his death after the enemy attack was over. I don't like this one bit. Why would they dig up his body after all this time and perform an autopsy?"

"Hmm. I was thinking the exact same thing," Mr. Conway replied.

He listened intently to what the prosecutor told the jury and took notes. Someone had to look in to all of this. The recent autopsy and the results of that autopsy were very convenient for the army, but Mr. Conway found it hard to believe that the team had killed their commanding officer in cold blood.

The prosecutor was having the time of his life as he was telling the jury about the results. He also told them they had checked the authenticity of the autograph on the original order and tried to convince the jury that Lieutenant Templeton Peck had forged Colonel Morrison's signature on said document. Face started to shift uncomfortably in his chair. Zowie kept a close eye on her boyfriend as she saw any and all color drain from his handsome face. Although he had forged autographs all his life – even on his papers to get into the army – he knew he wasn't responsible for this one. But how was he going to prove that? Wasn't he after all a conman? Who would believe him besides his team mates?

"I know you're probably not going to believe this, but I actually didn't do it," he almost whispered to their attorney. "I never ever forged Colonel Morrison's autograph. Not once and that's the truth."

"We know, Face," Hannibal answered his second-in-command. "We know, kid. Actually Morrison personally signed these papers in front of me and handed them over to me in person too. Face never even saw the document before we went on the mission."

"Don't worry, Lieutenant," Mr. Conway said. "It's only speculation. They can't actually prove a thing."

"But they're trying! The army doesn't like me very much. I kind of have this bad reputation of being insubordinate and I've been kicked out of several teams before I met up with Hannibal," he said softly.

Face was really getting worried now. He had a strong suspicion that the army wanted to frame him for this. The prosecutor seemed very happy with the accusation and smirked as he looked at the pale, young Lieutenant. Face tried to act his confident self, but his eyes betrayed him. He was starting to get even more uncomfortable.

"Hey, kid. Stop fidgeting all together. Don't worry about him," Hannibal tried to soothe his second-in-command. "We know you didn't do it and we'll back you up on this. All of us! That means Murdock will do the same thing. We are a team. We stick together like family and we never ever leave a man behind. Remember? It'll be okay. Trust me."

The first witness was called to the stand and this was none other than Josh Curtis. Curtis explained how Hannibal and his team had worked for Morrison just like he had done. The first part of his story was the truth, but he changed his story quickly afterwards. He told the jury that Colonel Smith and Colonel Morrison fought over the Hanoi mission and this so-called fight had taken place right before the enemy shelling. He claimed he saw Hannibal walk away after the explosion of the headquarters.

"This is getting good," Hannibal said smiling. "They even seem to buy their own made-up stories now."

"Aren't you worried at all, Colonel," Face said. His handsome face was all tense. He really did have a bad feeling about this.

"Yeah Hannibal. It's weird," B.A. agreed.

"'Off course I'm worried," Hannibal admitted. "But I'd love to see them prove these stories. They have nothing so far. And besides, we all know Curtis isn't a liable witness."

"By the way, Lieutenant Peck," Mr. Conway started to explain. "I still have a little something up my sleeve. Colonel Smith is right, you know. They're just trying to make you look guilty, but they have nothing on you so far. They can't prove a thing."

Now it was Mr. Conway's turn to cross examine the witness. He started by asking some questions concerning the cooperation between Curtis and the team and asked him what he did after he had left the military. Curtis explained that he was self-employed. Mr. Conway now came up with a document stating that Curtis was involved in gun smuggling. When he asked him if this were true, Curtis had no other choice but to confirm since he was under oath.

Every single witness the prosecutor came up with that day seemed to have something up his sleeve and each time that 'something' got revealed by Mr. Conway. Hannibal was enjoying this part! The judge finally announced that the first day of the trial was over. The team was brought back to the stockade and they were to change back into their army fatigues. Face hated them!

"Feeling better yet, Face?" Hannibal asked worriedly.

"Yeah a little," he answered. "I just don't understand why they're out to get us convicted. What did we ever do to them besides risking our lives every day when we were fighting in 'Nam?"

"I guess we somehow know too much," Hannibal said. "I just wish we'd figure out just what it is. But for now, let's not think about the trial anymore. Let's focus on the private time we'll be spending pretty soon thanks to Zowie."

"I'm seein' momma. I thought for sure I ain't gonna see her no more. Be sure to thank Zowie, Face."

"I will tell her," he said smiling. He was indeed looking forward to spending time alone with Zowie.

The guys were brought to a wing with three private rooms in them. There were no guards present in the hallway only outside of the door. The guys were escorted each to their own room and were locked in while waiting for their visitor. The rooms were pretty nice and quite large and there were no camera's present or listening devices whatsoever. The room looked quite modern. Each room had: a dining table and some chairs, a couch and a small coffee table and also a large TV set, a fridge with some refreshments in them and some snacks in the pantry and a small bathroom with a shower. While looking around Face quickly discovered that the couch could easily be converted into a double bed. He sighed. It wasn't anything close to what he used to scam, but at least he would be able to relax for three hours a day in this room with Zowie by his side. He could hardly wait to be alone with her.

It didn't take long before the visitors were allowed in with their loved ones. Zowie ran up to Face as soon as one of the guards opened the door to his room and they fell into each other's arms.

"Oh Temp, baby. Are you okay?" She asked him. "I was so worried about you."

"I'm fine now," he said while running a hand through her long dark hair.

They locked eyes and inched closer until their lips met in a passionate kiss.

"God, I love you, Zowie," he whispered.

"I love you too, Temp," she answered him.

" _Hannibal and B.A. said to thank you. We're really grateful for this, you know. And I'm sorry about the surroundings. I much rather had invited you to my condo or beach house or whatever and dressed up in one of my nice Armani suits instead of these …"_

Zowie simply put a finger to his lips.

"It's okay, Temp. Don't worry about it," she said smiling softly. "You even look sexy when you're wearing army fatigues. I'm just glad I can get to spend time with you."

" _Yeah. Me too."_

They kissed each other once again.

" _Well, welcome to my humble quarters_ ," he said acting like a true conman. _"Would you like a glass of wine and a snack while we watch a movie together?"_

Zowie merely smiled. She let her hands slide from his broad shoulders to his shirt clad chest and underneath the hem of the t-shirt of his army fatigues.

"I was thinking about something a bit more romantic to do just the two of us," she said teasingly while gently pushing Face until he reached the couch.

She pushed him onto the couch and sat on his lap. She started to softly play with his long blond hair while looking into his bright blue eyes.

" _Really,"_ he said while smiling. _"Well, I just happen to know we can turn this couch into a double bed. Wouldn't that be convenient?"_

A little while later, Zowie lay in Face's strong muscular arms with her head resting on his chest.

"I could lie in your arms forever," she said softly while drawing soft patterns with her fingers on his bare chest.

" _Oh I could definitely get used to this. I'd love to fall asleep holding you in my arms and waking up to that too. I just wish we would have met sooner. I didn't think I'd be able to feel this way about a woman again and I want to thoroughly enjoy every minute we still have together."_

"Hey, don't get all negative on me," Zowie said while tenderly running her hand through his blond hair. "The trial has only just started and they haven't proved a single thing. Mr. Conway is not about to give up and neither should you. You're innocent! I know you are! And so do you! You were merely following orders. You're still worried, aren't you?"

" _Yes, I am. What if they're trying to frame us for robbing the bank and killing Morrison? The army is capable of doing such a thing. If we get convicted, we'll be facing a firing squad. They will kill me, Zowie. I hate to lose you. I always wanted to settle down and start a family and I can really see that happening with you. I need you. I really need you!"_

Zowie merely held him in her arms.

"Try not to think about it, Temp," she whispered in his ear. "Just know that I love you. I love you so very much and there is nobody I'd rather spend the rest of my life with. And I'll be here for you. I promise. It's okay to break down every now and then."

The three hours went by way to quick. Face and Zowie had spent most of their private time in bed hugging, cuddling or just talking to one another. Zowie noticed he was tensing up again and she decided to gently massage his neck and back.

"Temp, try to relax," she said soothingly. "I'll be back tomorrow. Try not to think about the trial too much and get something to eat and some rest. You'll need it! Promise me."

" _I'll try."_

She once again pulled him in her arms and passionately kissed him.

"I love you, Templeton Peck. I love you very much! Nothing they say or do can ever change that."

They kissed again, but were interrupted by one of the guards knocking on the door to the room alerting them that the door would be opened in 15 minutes. Zowie just held onto Face as they stood there cuddling one another. Face never wanted this moment to end. When the door opened they were still in each other's arms.

"Miss Stockwell, I'm going to have to ask you to leave," the soldier said. "Your personal time with the prisoner is up and I must escort you out right now."

Zowie glared at him with an angry expression written all over her soft features. She then looked at Face and noticed how he tried to act brave, but tears were apparent in his bright blue eyes. She kissed him once again and he kissed her back tenderly.

"I love you, Temp," she said while tenderly stroking his cheek. "Don't you ever forget that!"

"I love you too, Zowie," he said trying hard to smile but failing miserably.

And then she was gone. The soldier escorted her out of the room and locked the door again. He was all alone! Alone with his thoughts and alone with all of his worries about the near future. He sighed and sat back down on the bed. He knew she would be back in his arms again tomorrow, but it still hurt to let her go. He buried his head in his hands.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Outside of the stockade doors, Maggie, Mrs. Baracus and Zowie met up with Murdock. Hannibal and B.A. were seemingly doing okay, but Zowie told them that she was really worried about Face.

"I don't know," she said. "He said he was worried and he's so tense. I told him he should try and eat something and get some rest."

"Facey always had a hard time dealing with stuff," Murdock said. "He has been through hell in that POW camp and he was still a boy at that time. A strong one that is, because otherwise he would never have survived that hell. We were there for him then and we're here for him now and you shall be there for him too. He'll be okay. Trust me."

"I hope so," Zowie said. "I can't lose him. Not now!"

"Oh girl. You won't lose him," Mrs. Baracus said. "We'll make sure about that, won't we Murdock."

"He is so worried that the army will frame them," she said.

"He's got a point there," Murdock stated. "Look. I've been there with them. They're my unit. I was their pilot. I know Morrison gave that order to rob the bank and I also know they would never kill him. Never ever never in a million years. They're trained Special Forces, but they only killed Charlie. I also have the idea that the army wants to frame them. I think somehow they know too much. We just have to find out what it is ourselves. Are you ready to help me out, 'cause I can't do that all on my own."

"I'm in," Maggie said. "I really do want to help John."

"Me too," said Mrs. Baracus. "Anything to save my Scooter and the guys and give them a chance on a normal life."

"You can surely count on me," Zowie said. "I'm not about to let Temp down."

Meanwhile back in the stockade …

The doors to the private rooms were unlocked and they guys were escorted back to their prison cell in the stockade. Hannibal immediately noticed how tensed his Lieutenant looked. As soon as they were in their cell, Face walked over to his bed and lay down on his back staring up at the ceiling. B.A. and Hannibal shared a worried look.

"Hey, kid.?" Hannibal asked his Lieutenant. "Everything alright between you and Zowie?"

"Yeah, we're fine," Face answered still staring at the ceiling. "I loved to have her close to me for three hours. The hard part was letting her go again."

Hannibal and B.A. got the message.

"So what else's eatin' you," B.A. asked. He knew Face long enough to know that something was wrong.

Face sat up at the edge of his bed burying his head in his hands once again. Hannibal sat beside him and patted his back as to encourage him like a father would do.

"I don't want to die," he said barely above a whisper. "For the first time in my life, I'm genuinely scared. It's hard to admit it out loud, but it's the truth. I don't want my life to end. Not now! Not with me and Zowie …"

"I know, kid. I know. And neither do we," Hannibal tried to comfort him. "The trial is not over yet. We might figure out what's wrong or manage to get out of this place somehow by ourselves. Heck, we did it once before, right! We're the A-team, son. We've been through worse together and still somehow made it out. We'll do it again. That's for sure!"

"Yeah man. It ain't over yet. Don't lose hope, littl' brother. Gotta stay strong," B.A. said softly.

"I want to. Believe me. I do. But it's so damn hard right now. I don't know what I'd do without Zowie. I know we haven't been together that long, but she's special. What we have is something ... I … I just can't explain …"

"You know what, son. I think you're really in love this time," Hannibal stated.

"Yeah. I guess so …," Face answered him.

"Damn right," B.A. muttered. "Ain't it 'bout time too. Won't have to ask crazy fool no more about all them ladies you was datin' 'cause it was hard rememberin' all of them names."

"You can't fall apart now, kid," Hannibal said. "That's exactly what they want. I'm pretty sure they want to put you on the stand. That prosecutor will try to make you look guilty as hell stating you are the team's conman. By now, they probably found out that you forged your own entry papers to get into the army. And surely they have a list of all your 'accomplishments' as a supply officer during 'Nam."

" _I don't stand a chance, do I?"_

"Sure you do, kid. We believe in you and you've got to believe in yourself. That's all!" Hannibal re-assured him.

" _But Hannibal …"_

"Face, trust me. What you did during the war was merely follow orders and I bet you wouldn't be the first young man to have forged his way into the US army. It's okay! You just need to stay calm and focused. He has nothing to pin on either of us so far. Besides, you don't think Murdock will let his best buddy be convicted knowing fully well he's innocent, do you."

"We got to stick together. Like a family," B.A. said. "We ain't gonna let you down, Face. You hear me! We'll help you through this."

" _Thanks, guys. I really needed that."_

"Anytime, littl' brother," B.A. said.

"That's what family's for, my boy," Hannibal answered smiling and softly patting Face's shoulders once more. "Now will you be able to eat something and get some sleep tonight?"

" _Don't I always?"_

"I can see right through you, remember? Don't try to con me, Lieutenant. Now what about that, huh?" Hannibal asked smiling.

" _Yes, Colonel. I'll eat something and I'll try to get some sleep."_

The next day the prosecutor again tried to convince the jury that the A-team was acting on their own behalf and were a murderous gang, but he couldn't prove a single thing. Mr. Conway came well prepared as well and knew just how to counter every attack. The prosecutor really had it in for the young Lieutenant and he kept on trying to convince the jury that he was indeed nothing but a liar. But Hannibal and Face had had long talks and the Colonel had prepared his second-in-command well. He appeared to be perfectly calm and composing whenever the prosecutor tried to provoke any kind of reaction from him. It drove the prosecution crazy!

Meanwhile, Murdock, Maggie, Zowie and Mrs. Baracus paid close attention to what was being said and Murdock and Zowie even took notes. Those notes would be handy during their own investigation of the case. Zowie, however, had notified Mr. Conway what they were trying to do and he was again very impressed. Although he actually didn't believe the guys were innocent at first, he gradually started to see them in a different light. Colonel Smith was able to keep an ill-tempered Sergeant Baracus under control at all times and he had also witnessed him calming his Lieutenant down. He also loved the determination of Captain Murdock to prove his unit's innocence and so Mr. Conway started to gradually believe in the team's innocence all together. They weren't too fond of using violence, but sometimes were forced to use it to protect the innocent.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'm a sucker for romance. What can I say**

 **Chapter 4**

The guys tried their best to keep their cool during the trial despite the obvious lies being told by most of the witnesses. The second day ended once again without actual prove of the team's crimes and the guys were once again relieved.

Face had been looking forward to his private time with Zowie all day long. She was lying safely in his strong arms when she told him about their own investigation. She explained how she and Murdock took notes during the trial and how they would compare those stories to the real stories told by the team members. She also explained that they kept Mr. Conway posted at all times of their findings. Face couldn't be more proud and grateful. He looked a lot more relaxed now knowing that everyone would fight until the end. It wasn't much, but it was a start at least.

Days and days went by. Murdock and his team of helpers kept digging deeper and deeper into the army's secrets. They were all very motivated to clear the guys for once and for all. Finally, they managed to find out what had been going on at the base. They found out that Curtis was already into the smuggling business at that time and not only weapons but also drugs. He was running quite some operation. The team had no idea about that, but did Morrison know? That was something they had to look into. Maybe he found out and wanted a share of the profit or something like that, those were reasons enough to get rid of him. So they decided to dig even deeper.

Zowie was thrilled to tell Face about what they found out during their next private time. He was very proud of her, but also warned her to be careful. She assured him that Murdock watched over them. Face told B.A. and Hannibal when they were brought back to their cell and they had also been informed by their significant others.

" _Man, she's something else. I really wish I would have met her sooner. She sure as hell doesn't want to give up without a fight."_

"She is some feisty lady," Hannibal agreed. "Just like Maggie is too!"

"Yeah. I bet momma loves both them ladies," B.A. smiled.

" _Off course, we can't forget what Murdock is doing for us either. If he gets us out of this mess, I'll owe him for the rest of my life."_

And Murdock and his crew were not about to give up. Somehow they were hoping to find some kind of link between Curtis and Morrison. They kept on taking notes and researching stuff once the trial day was over. Zowie worked for hours on end after she came home. Face started to notice that she looked tired and worn out when she came to visit him. He was really starting to get worried about her.

" _Zowie, baby. I'm starting to get worried about you. You look so tired. Are you getting enough sleep?"_

"I can't sleep when I'm researching stuff that will get you and the guys off the hook," she said. "There has to be something. I want to be able to help you, because I love you."

" _Zowie, you don't have to prove your love for me. The last thing I want is for you to get hurt."_

"I'm fine," she said cuddling closer in his arms. "Don't worry, Temp. I'm gonna prove you guys are innocent if it's the last thing I do."

They spent some quality romantic time together. When their time was nearly up, they got up and got dressed again. Zowie got up and once she got to her feet the world started to spin all of a sudden. Face noticed this straight away and was with her in an instant.

" _Zowie? Baby? Are you feeling alright?"_

"Yes. Yes I'm fine," she tried to reassure him. "I probably got up to quickly and became somewhat dizzy. That's all. Don't worry about it, Temp. I'll be fine."

But Face wasn't convinced. She was looking awfully pale. He made her sit down on the couch and helped her get dressed and she allowed him to do just that. When the guard knocked on the door informing them that their time was almost up, Zowie tried to stand once again. She immediately became dizzy, but tried not to show anything to Face. They walked towards the door and hugged each other again like they did every time, but now Face felt her knees buckle out from underneath her. He was able to grab her before she fell to the floor and cradled her in his arms.

" _Hey. I need some help in here. My girlfriend just fainted. Can you open up this door? Please!"_

The guard heard him and quickly but carefully opened the door.

"What happened?" He asked.

" _Miss Stockwell fainted all of a sudden. Can you please have Dr. Sullivan check her over? I'm really worried about her."_

"Yes, sure," the guard said.

" _Could you please let me know what's going on afterwards? Please? I have to know."_

"I'll see what I can do, but I'm not making any promises," the guard said apologetically.

He took Zowie from Face and carried her out. Meanwhile, Maggie and Mrs. Baracus were also escorted out into the hallway. The guard explained what happened to Zowie and asked Maggie if she would be so kind as to examine her.

"Poor thing is worn out," Mrs. Baracus said. "She's overdoin' all this research stuff a bit. She really cares about that sweet boy. Poor Temp. He must be worried sick."

"I agree with you there," Maggie said. "I'll try to find out what's wrong with her."

She checked her patient's vitals and started to examine her.

"I think I have a clue what's going on here," Maggie said relieved after she had finished looking Zowie over. "I need to draw blood to really confirm my diagnosis, but the news isn't that bad. Not bad at all!" She smiled and softly ran her hand through Zowie's hair.

"What is it, Maggie? What's not that bad?" Mrs. Baracus asked.

Meanwhile Zowie's eyes fluttered open.

"Hey, baby girl," Mrs. Baracus said. "You gave Temp quite a scare and us too."

"Sorry," Zowie whispered back.

"Hey, Zowie," Maggie also said. "You fainted and Face asked the guards to let me check what is going on with you. I think I have a clue. Did you …"

"Yes, I did. I'm already about three weeks late," Zowie said.

"Are you havin' a baby, girl?" Mrs. Baracus asked.

"Yes, Momma B. I think I am. I didn't do a test just yet. I was about too tonight …"

"Let's do a test right now," Maggie said. "If that test is positive, you'd better take care of yourself and your unborn baby from now on. You are lacking sleep, my dear. And as a doctor, I don't need to remind you that too much stress is bad for an expecting mother."

The guys were brought back to their prison cell and Face told Hannibal and B.A. just what had happened. He was nervously pacing around the cell.

"Sit down, son, before you fall down yourself," Hannibal said. "We can't have two people out."

" _I can't. Not until I know what's going on with her. I'm really worried about her, Hannibal. She didn't look well at all. That's so not like my Zowie."_

"I know you are worried, kid. Maggie will take good care of her. I know she will," Hannibal re-assured him. "Relax. It's probably nothing serious."

" _I don't know, Hannibal. She was looking so pale. I just wish they would at least tell me she's alright."_

Right at that very moment, the heavy door of the cell block was opened and Captain Underwood walked in.

"Lieutenant Peck. You have a phone call from your lady friend," he said in a loud military voice. "Please, turn around and put your hands behind your back so we can handcuff you while we take you to the phone."

"Why handcuff him?" Hannibal spoke firmly. "Lieutenant Peck will come quietly with you. He won't cause any problems. He is just worried about his girlfriend, that's all."

"That's right," Face agreed. "I just need to know how Zowie is doing."

"Those are the rules, Peck," the Captain answered.

Face sighed and did as he was told. The MP's quickly handcuffed him and he was led out to the phone booth.

"Can you at least undo the cuffs while I'm talking to her?" Face asked.

The Captain nodded his head and the MP's once again undid his handcuffs. Captain Underwood handed him the phone.

" _Zowie? Is that you? Are you okay? Please tell me you're alright? "_

"Hi, Temp. Yes, it's really me. I'm so sorry about what happened earlier."

" _It's alright. Just please tell me what happened? It' not serious, is it? I can't lose you, Zowie. I just can't handle that."_

"I'm doing fine. Just fine. Don't worry! I have just been too busy lately and was lacking much needed sleep. It was merely exhaustion."

" _That's all? You're not holding anything back, are you?"_

"I'm fine. Trust me. I'll see you again tomorrow and we'll talk about it some more. Just don't worry! I couldn't feel any better. You just relax and get some rest too. Okay! And don't worry about me. I feel fine again now. I've never felt better."

She rested her hand on her flat belly and smiled. She really was going to be fine. They said their goodbyes and Face was handcuffed once again and brought back to his cell. He explained to his friends that Zowie was merely suffering from exhaustion and that she would be fine again.

"See kid. Nothing to worry about," Hannibal said. "She is some strong lady and she's in good hands with Maggie too."

" _I know."_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

The next day Zowie, Maggie, Mrs. Baracus and Murdock met again before the trial to have breakfast together to discuss their progress in the investigation of the guys' case. Instead of her usual coffee, Zowie asked for a cup of green tea. Murdock had seen that she looked somewhat pale and tired lately, but today a healthy blush was apparent on her cheeks and her eyes sparkled.

"Zowie, are you okay?" Murdock asked her softly. He was Face's best friend and knew how much the two loved one another. He looked out for his friend and hated to see him get hurt. He also really cared about Zowie.

"Yes, I'm fine," Zowie re-assured him. "Maggie checked me over last night and again this morning and I'm okay. I just overdid it and my body was exhausted. All I really needed was a good night's rest."

"Yet here you are drinking tea instead of your usual coffee," Murdock remarked. You couldn't get anything past the clever Captain.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Zowie said smiling widely. "I was going to keep it a secret until at least Temp knows, but I can't seem to keep things from you. And I admit. I'm a bit nervous to tell him what's going on. Murdock … I'm pregnant."

"You're having Facey's baby!" Murdock exclaimed. "A baby Face!"

"Yes," Zowie answered smiling.

"That's such wonderful news. I'm so thrilled," Murdock exclaimed happily. "I'm gonna be an uncle. Crazy uncl' Murdock. That baby is gonna be spoiled, you know. I'm sure he'll get gold from the ugly mud sucker. And grandpa Hannibal? He is gonna be so proud of you guys and he's gonna look after that baby like he's looked after its dad for so long. As for me, off course I'm gonna have to introduce him to Billy and the rest."

"Thanks, Murdock," Zowie said as she hugged him. "Do you think Temp will be happy too? I mean. It's sudden, I know. It's not like we planned on having a baby."

"Facey always had commitment issues," Murdock started to explain. "Ever since he got his heart broken by Leslie that is. It all ended when he met you and fell in love again. He wants to spend the rest of his life with you, Zowie. I know that much! So he'll be thrilled to become a dad, but he'll also worry 'cause they're locked up and on trial. We'll just have to do our utmost best to clear their names."

Shortly afterwards, the group walked together towards the court room. Zowie was practically glowing. They sat down and pulled out their notebooks as they usually did.

"Are you doing okay, baby girl?" Mrs. Baracus asked Zowie.

"I'm fine, Mrs. B. Thanks!" Zowie said happily. "I just want to spent time with Temp and tell him the good news, although I'm super nervous about that too."

"What are you gonna tell your daddy?" She asked as she was informed that Stockwell didn't really like Temp that much.

"Not a thing for now," Zowie said. "I don't want him to know just yet. If we can't clear the guys' names, we'll be forced to get my dad involved."

The trial went by as usual. The prosecutor questioned his witnesses who turned out to be unreliable as usual and Mr. Conway managed to make the jury doubt their statements. Murdock and Zowie made notes as usual. The first part of their statement was usually correct, but it was clear that someone was manipulating them to withhold the truth. Someone truly wanted to frame the A-team so it seemed. If only they were able to proof who wanted to do that and why!

When the trial was over, the prisoners were escorted to their private rooms. The guys were all looking forward to spending time with their loved ones. Zowie was also a little nervous.

Face was anxiously waiting for Zowie to arrive. As soon as the door opened, she ran into his arms.

" _Hey, baby_ ," he whispered softly. " _Did you miss me_?"

She grabbed his head in her hands, buried her hands in his long blond hair and kissed him. The kiss told him all he needed to know.

" _I guess you did. I missed you too, darling. Are you feeling okay now?"_

He was still very worried about her well-being.

"I'm fine, Temp," she said. "I've never ever felt better in my entire life."

Face noticed how her skin was almost glowing and her eyes were sparkling as well.

" _You look even more beautiful today."_

"Well … That might be because I have some big news for you," she said smiling.

" _Big news, huh."_

"Yes. Exciting news," she said as she pushed him down on the couch. "Now, close your eyes."

Face was getting curious by now and did as he was told eager to find out whatever the secret would be.

Zowie gently put a small parcel in his lap. Face frowned.

"Okay, Temp. Open your eyes," she said.

Face gently started to open the parcel by tearing off the wrapping paper. The parcel held a tiny baby onesie with the text 'Daddy's cutie pie' printed on it. He was speechless for a second merely staring at the onesie as tears pooled in his blue eyes. He looked up at Zowie and she noticed how his eyes were filled to the brim with tears.

" _Zowie …."_ His voice was trembling by now.

"Yes, Temp," she answered while grabbing his hand and putting it on her flat belly. "I'm having a baby. Your baby. Our baby."

"I'm gonna be a dad," he said still hardly believing what was happening to him. "A baby. We're having a baby."

Zowie watched him as the news suddenly dawned on him. He pulled her in his arms and kissed her passionately.

" _That's such great news, baby. I love you so much."_

"I know. It really is," she answered him. "I love you too, Temp. I know we didn't exactly plan on having a baby yet."

" _Not really_ ," Face said smiling. " _But that doesn't mean it's not welcome and won't be loved. I really do want to become a dad. I'm sure he or she will be just as gorgeous as its mother_."

"Or as handsome as its father," Zowie said. "I'm so glad you like the news."

" _When did you find out?"_

"Yesterday after I fainted," she said. "Maggie already was suspicious and I knew I had missed my period."

" _You should really look after yourself and the baby_ ," he said in a worrying tone of voice. " _I don't want to lose either one of you_."

"I will, Temp. I promise," she said softly.

They kissed each other passionately. Zowie playfully pushed her boyfriend down on the couch.

"I think we should celebrate the good news, don't you," she said while unbuttoning the shirt of his army fatigues and running her hands underneath the hem of his t-shirt.

" _But the baby …"_

"Temp, the baby is well protected," she said kissing him some more. "He won't get hurt. Trust me."

" _I do trust you_ ," he answered kissing her this time. " _And I do want to celebrate the good news with you_."

Zowie cuddled closer in his arms as her head rested on Face's chest. She loved being this close to him. Face was softly stroking her long hair.

"I still can't believe I'm going to be a dad," he said in a dreamy voice.

"Yes, you will and you'll be a great one too," Zowie said.

"I hope so," he answered her. "I never had much of an example being an orphan. Hannibal is the closest thing I have to a father. He has always been there for me whenever I was sick or injured. He kept an eye on me, kept me out of trouble most of the time and has guided me and stood by me ever since I became a part of the team. I was still a kid when we met in 'Nam. Hannibal practically raised me."

"And he did a great job raising you," Zowie said. "I love the man you have become."

Face smiled, but suddenly his smile faltered.

"What is it?" Zowie asked worriedly.

" _What if things go wrong? I'll end up in jail or worse I'll be sentenced to death. I won't even get to know my own child. Will you tell him or her about me?"_

"Sweetie, don't think like that," Zowie said trying to comfort him. "You're innocent. I know you are. They have nothing on you so far. We won't let that happen. Baby Peck needs its dad."

"Zowie, maybe you better give the baby your name," he said sounding sad. "I don't want to hurt either one of you."

"Temp, please don't get all negative," Zowie begged him. "I want this baby to be a baby Peck and I will fight to proof that its dad is innocent. I don't care what it takes. I'll bring down the complete military top if I have to. You will witness the birth of your child and you'll watch your son or daughter grow up. And you'll make an excellent dad."

"Have I told you just how much I love you, Zowie Stockwell," he said smiling once again.

"You have, but I love to hear you say that," Zowie teased him. "I love you too, Templeton Peck. Both of us do. That will never change."

When their private time was over and the guys were back in their own cell, Face was still smiling. Hannibal and even B.A. noticed how relaxed their young Lieutenant was.

"I don't think I've seen you this happy in ages, kid," Hannibal voiced what he was thinking. "I suppose Zowie was feeling better again? Or is there something else you've got to tell us."

"Well, I have every reason to be happy," he said still smiling.

B.A. already rolled his eyes and Hannibal merely smirked as he lit a cigar.

"She had some really good news for me," he said feeling proud.

"Oh really," answered Hannibal. "What was it then?"

"We're having a baby. She found out yesterday when Maggie examined her," he said in a soft voice. "I can hardly believe it myself and this wasn't exactly planned … you know, but … I don't know. I just can't help it! I'm just so thrilled that I'll be a dad."

"'Bout damn time you get serious," B.A. said. "Being a dad ain't no pick-nick. No more chasin' skirts."

"No. Those days are over," Face answered. "I love Zowie. I really do. What we have is special."

"Well, if you're happy so are we," Hannibal answered his second-in-command. "Congratulations, son. You'll make a wonderful dad. I'm pretty sure about that. I'm proud of you, kid."

"Thanks Hannibal," he said.

"Yeah, man. You ain't too bad with them kids at the shelter or the orphanage. You'll do fine," B.A. said.

"I'm just worried about the future though," Face admitted as he sat down on his bed.

"Why?" Hannibal asked.

"Well we are locked up in an army prison, Colonel," he started to explain. "Suppose we get convicted and end up in prison for life or get sentenced to death. I won't be there when my baby is born and I'll never watch him or her grow up. I know what it's like to grow up without a family. I'd hate for that to happen to my kid."

"Hey, we're not convicted yet," Hannibal said while sitting down beside Face and wrapping his arm around his shoulder. "We won't go down without a fight. You know that! They have nothing on us so far and you have something to look forward too when this is all over."

"I sure do," Face answered feeling relieved.

"I wonder what Stockwell will think of all this," Hannibal said smiling.

"I don't think he'll be too thrilled," Face said. "I'm not exactly his most favorite person in the world. He wasn't at all that happy with Zowie and me dating in the first place, but Zowie hasn't told him the big news yet. Only B.A.'s mum and Murdock know."

"Well, I am counting on Murdock to get us out of this mess," Hannibal stated.

"Never thought I'd be countin' on the fool. But I am now! It better be good!"

" _I'm sure Murdock is trying everything he can to get us out of this mess. Let's not underestimate our Captain. He is a very smart guy and a very determinate one too. And we all know he isn't really crazy, now do we."_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The trial was going nowhere and the guys were still locked up in prison. Up until now Mr. Conway had always been able to point out that the prosecutor's witnesses were unreliable. Murdock and his team were still investigating the case themselves. Since the HQ had been destroyed during the enemy shelling, it wasn't easy for them to get their hands on any actual evidence on paper. But they didn't give up! They still missed a vital piece of their puzzle and kept on looking for it.

Today Hannibal was being called to the stand as a witness. The prosecutor started to cross-exam him and he answered every question in all honesty. Somehow he sensed that the prosecution was up to something. He asked whether Hannibal was able to kill someone and he admitted that this is what you did during a war to an enemy in order to survive. The prosecutor seemed very satisfied with that answer. All of a sudden he presented a piece of paper with a statement from a certain Colonel Quiyet. Nobody had ever heard this name before. This Vietnamese Colonel testified under oath that some American members of the US army had worked together with the enemy during the war. He had provided the army with a list and Colonel Morrison's name happened to be on this piece of paper. Hannibal as well as the others were shocked! The prosecutor wanted to convince the jury that the A-team found out about this cooperation and saw Morrison as the enemy and had therefore killed him. The whole story seemed to make sense and even had Hannibal worried. As they were a tight unit, the prosecutor also dragged Face and B.A. into the story.

Face was called to the stand right after Hannibal as he was the second-in-command to the team. Although he tried to hide it as the true conman he was, Hannibal immediately realized how nervous Face really was. The prosecutor wore a smug smile on his face and Hannibal was pretty sure he would give Face a hard time at the stand.

"I'm starting to get a little worried about your Lieutenant," Mr. Conway stated.

"Well. The kid is a smooth talker and he usually talks himself out of just about any situation. But he also has a smart mouth sometimes! If that prosecutor provokes him, he might just react in self-defense," Hannibal explained.

"That's what has me worried," said Mr. Conway.

The prosecutor's first question was already a delicate one. "Lieutenant Peck, could you tell this court how old you are?"

Face was glad he had had the time to talk to Hannibal about all this. Hannibal had advised him to be as honest as possible on the stand. He gave an honest answer to the question and the prosecutor shot back that according to his military file he was supposed to be two years older. Face admitted that he had 'adjusted' his age a bit, so he would be able to enlist. He explained how he had really wanted to serve his country back then and had therefore adjusted his age a little bit. Mr. Conway came to his aide explaining that lots of young men had done the same. He also explained that Face had graduated high school earlier due to his outstanding marks and already attended college at that age.

"Let's just briefly go over your military career shall we, Lieutenant? During the start of your career, your drill sergeant quickly discovered that you were very eager to fight. You also got into trouble all the time and were often disciplined for that. Any comments on that?"

" _I was young and foolish, I guess. I did have a bit of a big mouth that got me in trouble a lot and growing up in an orphanage you learn how to defend yourself when you have to and believe me I often had to. So when someone would pick a fight, I had to defend myself. That's all I did."_

"Despite the fact that you got yourself into trouble all the time and were insubordinate to your commanding officer, you turned out to be an excellent soldier. He thought you were in need of some sort of discipline and so you were send to the Special Forces training program. You were top of your class and became an excellent sniper. But still that didn't cool that hot head of yours. Due to your excellent grades, you were offered to train as an officer and became a first Lieutenant eventually. Just how many times did your attitude land you into the brig exactly, Lieutenant?"

" _I've lost count to be honest."_

"I have the list right here."

" _Look. Like I said before, I was young and foolish and I believed I had nothing to lose at the time. There was nothing really for me to return home too after the war, so I guess I got careless and reckless. If you really want to know, I got into trouble at the orphanage too because I had a hard time listening to people telling me what to do. Everything changed when I was assigned to Colonel Smith's team."_

"You just stopped then all of a sudden?"

" _No. I did try to act out several times, but he knew exactly how to handle me somehow. I learned pretty quickly that when he threatened to do something, he would do it too. But at least he gave me a chance. He would try to get through to me and sit down and listen to what I actually had to say without judging me straight away. I look up to him and I learned to respect him and I still respect him to this day. I can honestly say that if it weren't for Colonel Smith, I would have ended up in jail a long time ago."_

"Yet that's exactly where you are now."

" _This is something entirely different. And like we said before, we never robbed the Bank of Hanoi. We were merely following orders."_

"So you keep claiming."

" _It's the truth. Colonel Morrison told Hannibal that he knew of a way to put an end to this war. Who wouldn't want that? Our unit had been through hell in that POW camp. We lost a lot of good men and we barely survived ourselves. We would have done anything to make it stop."_

"Even robbing the Bank of Hanoi?"

" _Yes, we had to put a stop to the financial support the enemy got. Those were Colonel Morrison's orders."_

"Did you steal all of the money?"

" _No, we didn't. We only took the amount of money we were supposed to take."_

"That's not what the Bank report stated. Are you sure you didn't take some extra money to support your high standard way of living, Lieutenant? I mean, we all know you drive a Corvette and have an expensive taste in clothing. How else can you support your lifestyle?"

" _I've actually worked and saved money in order to buy that car."_

"How? By acting as a soldier of fortune with the A-team? I hardly doubt that for a minute, Lieutenant."

" _Yeah, well. Since our own country turned its back on us after all we've done, we had to find means to support ourselves somehow. So yes, we became soldiers of fortune. You should really try it sometime. It's way more lucrative than being in the army. And I'm not just talking about money either. At least we never turn our backs on fellow Americans."_ Face was really starting to lose his patience now.

"Oh, Facey," Murdock muttered.

"Lieutenant Peck, you are out of line here," the judge said firmly.

" _What are you going to do? Throw me in jail?"_

"That's enough, Lieutenant," the judge said raising his voice and standing up in the process. "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior in my courtroom. Bring him back to his cell! I'm suspending your private time for today, Lieutenant. You can cool off in your cell for a while."

" _What?"_

Mr. Conway hurriedly stood up and asked the judge if he could approach the bench. The judge agreed and the prosecutor also joined them at the bench. Mr. Conway tried to soothe the judge a bit and explained that the whole trial was taking its toll on his clients. He asked for a short recess to talk to them and pleaded for the judge to reconsider. Luckily for them the judge agreed to it.

The team met up with Mr. Conway in the backroom.

"Lieutenant Peck, what was that all about?" Mr. Conway asked. He was furious to say the very least. "What were you planning to gain from this?"

" _He asked for it."_

"Face, would you calm down. This isn't getting you anywhere," Hannibal said. "Now sit down and listen. That's an order!"

" _What's the point, Hannibal? We don't stand a chance. They're out to convict us no matter what we say or do."_

"Face's right. And that sucker was askin' for it. Ain't fair that he's in trouble."

"That prosecutor sure has it in for you. He is trying to convince this jury that you've been lying and cheating your entire army career. Kid, if you act this way they'll start to believe him."

" _Hannibal, I couldn't just sit there and say nothing."_

"I know, kid. I know. But this will only land you into more trouble. Mr. Conway, is there a way out of this mess?"

"Well, I'm not sure. Didn't you say, Colonel, that your Lieutenant can easily get the answer yes from about anyone?"

"He sure can."

"Then he should apologize to the judge and the prosecution."

" _What? Oh come on. I didn't do anything."_

"Why don't you put on a show for them and tell them that you're under a lot of pressure and that you just didn't know how to handle yourself anymore."

" _Huh?"_

"Actually, that's not such a bad idea. Think of it as a scam, son. You'll know how to talk your way out of this one."

Hannibal put his hand on his Lieutenant's shoulder and squeezed it for support. He merely nodded his head. After the break, they all walked back into the courtroom. Zowie locked eyes with Face and he smiled weakly at her. As soon as the trial started again, Mr. Conway said that his client wanted to approach the bench and apologize.

" _First of all … uh … Thank you for allowing me to say a few words. I …uh … I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier. I was way out of line! It's just that … this trial. It has been so nerve wrecking and hard. I merely wanted to defend myself, but somehow I lost my self-control. I guess in a way I haven't grown up completely. I'm sorry. It won't ever happen again."_

His act was impeccable. He stood there looking like a schoolboy caught in doing some sort of mischief. He didn't dare to look at the judge and just kept his eyes trained on the ground and fidgeted with his fingers. It looked as if he was totally and utterly sorry for his behavior earlier. When he finally had the "courage" to look up at the judge, his eyes were moist with unshed tears. By now he had the judge and the entire jury convinced how sorry he truly was and they were willing to drop the charges. Zowie watched her boyfriend perform his act. It looked as if he really meant what he said, but she knew Temp was a great actor. She also realized that the army was serious! They really did want to frame the A-team. But why? What on Earth was going on? She became even more determined to find out exactly what they were trying to cover up.

Another trial day was over and the guys once again spend some quality time with their loved ones. Face was starting to get really worried by now and he brought up the subject while spending time with Zowie. When he talked about their baby, he referred to it as Baby Stockwell. Zowie was really worried about her boyfriend's well-being. He was distant and less affectionate and she knew he only did this to protect her from getting hurt. She wasn't about to give up on him however. She only saw one solution to the problem: break into her father's office as he seemed to have some sort of file on the team. It was their only chance!

She decided not to tell Face this. He was upset enough already. So she decided to stick to talking about their baby to somehow cheer him up. She knew exactly how upset Face was as he tried to convince her to raise her baby as Baby Stockwell.

"Temp, I can't," she said. "I really can't pretend you're not the baby's father. This is our child, your child. You're the baby's biological dad. We both need you, Temp. I want us to be a family. Heck, I want to marry you!"

" _You what?"_ He asked all surprised.

"I want to become Mrs. Templeton Peck," she repeated herself. "I've never been so sure in my entire life. I love you, Temp. I want to spend the rest of my life with you and raise a family with you. That's all I want! I've never loved anyone like I love you. I need you. I want you. So, I'll ask you this question: will you marry me, Temp?"

" _What? Zowie, I ….!"_

"Marry me, Temp. We love each other, right. That's all that matters. All I want is for us to be together with our little treasure. We can get married in here and we'll have a big, traditional wedding once you're out of here," she explained.

"I … uh … well," he stammered. "Zowie, I love you. You know how much I love you. But I'm locked up and my future is very uncertain. They want to convict us for the murder of Morrison. I'd love to marry you, believe me, but the last thing I want to do is hurt you or the baby. What if …"

"I'd be hurt if you turn my offer down," she said. "And I intend to get you guys out of this mess if it's the last thing I do. I've come up with a plan. I can't live another day without you. You're a big part of my life now. Please, Temp? I need you. I really need you to be a part of my life."

" _Oh Zowie. God, why did you have to be so damn cute? You can wrap me around your little finger and you know it. I really do love you and I would so love to take care of you and be with you for the rest of my life. But …"_

Zowie locked eyes with him. She was almost begging him not to turn her offer down. And he wasn't about to do so. He couldn't lose the best thing that had ever happened to him, but he just couldn't help but tease her.

"I'm supposed to be the true gentleman here," he said while getting down on one knee in front of his girlfriend. "Now I know you are a modern girl and all, but I think I really should ask you this question myself. I can hardly believe that I'm actually doing this in a place like this. I mean, normally I should be all dressed up wearing Armani instead of this and we should be at an expensive restaurant sipping champagne while I would pull a little black velvet box out of my pocket containing a beautiful diamond engagement ring to put on your finger. Zowie Stockwell, I love you so very much and it would mean the world to me if you would spend the rest of your life with me. Will you marry me, Zowie?"

"Yes. Yes, I will, Oh Temp. Yes!"

She was in his arms in less than a minute. Face held her and closed his eyes. He could hardly believe he had asked that very question knowing fully well they might not have very much time to spend as husband and wife. On the other hand, he was thrilled that he finally had the nerve to even think about getting settled with someone. Now he only had to pray they would get out of this mess. They let go for a second as they locked eyes once again.

"You know. I feel like I'm the luckiest man alive right now," Face said softly a smile adorning his handsome features. He softly put his hand on Zowie's small baby bump.

"You've made me the happiest girl on the face of the Earth," Zowie said smiling. "I can't believe I'm going to be Mrs. Templeton Peck."

"You know I love the sound of that," he whispered softly in her ear while kissing her neck.

They spend the rest of their 'alone time' cuddling, kissing and talking about their upcoming wedding.

"The guys are never going to believe I actually asked you to marry me," Face stated. "I can hardly believe it myself."

"You're not backing out on me now, are you?" Zowie asked letting go of him all of a sudden.

"Absolutely not," he said as he kissed her. "I really want you to become my wife, Zowie. But what about your dad?"

"What about him? He doesn't need to know. I'm not going to invite him to the ceremony anyway. He'll only try to talk me out of doing this or better force me out of doing this. I don't want him to be there. It will just be us and our closest friends," she said. "Hey, Temp. Do you think maybe Hannibal and Maggie would want to get married too? I mean we could have a double wedding ceremony? Wouldn't that be cool?"

" _Hannibal? Marrying? Jeez … I don't know, Zowie. I mean. I do know he loves Maggie a whole lot. But this is a huge step."_

"I'm sure Maggie would be thrilled," Zowie said smiling.

" _I could always ask him whether he would like to get married too."_

"Yes, you should."

The private time ended and the guys were brought back to their cell. Hannibal and B.A. immediately noticed how happy Face looked and they wanted to talk to him about this. As soon as they were alone in their cell, Hannibal asked his second-in-command what was making him this cheerful all of a sudden.

" _You're never gonna believe what happened."_

"Try me, kid. I'm kinda curious."

"Yeah, man. Stop with the jibber jabber already an' get on with it."

" _I've asked Zowie to marry me and she said yes."_

"You what? You've asked her to marry you? We are facing a possible death sentence here and you decided to ask her to marry you? What's gotten into you?"

" _Well, technically Zowie asked me to marry her first. We can you know. We can get married while were locked up in here."_

"What if we ain't getting' out, fool. Thought about that? She ain't gonna have no husband no more when they shoot ya."

" _Could you at least try to be happy for me? Jeez. We love each other. Besides, she's having my baby."_

"Look, son. I'm happy for you. I really am and so is B.A. But he's right! There is a small chance we don't get out of this one."

" _I know, Hannibal. But I really want to do this. And they are still working on a way to get us out of here."_

"In that case: congratulations, son. I couldn't be more proud of you."

"Yeah man. I'm proud of you too. Is about time you stopped chasin' them skirts too. You're gettin' too old for that."

" _Hey, I haven't been doing that ever since I met Zowie. Hannibal, what about you and Maggie?"_

"What about us?"

" _Aren't you two serious?"_

"Well, I guess we are. Most people have settled down already at my age or not at all. But yeah. I can see myself growing old with Mags by my side."

" _We could have a double wedding you know, Hannibal. Wouldn't that be nice? I would really like that."_

"You would, huh? And I guess you have a point there too. What is there to lose? I think I'll ask Mags tomorrow whether she wants to get married too."


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER 7**

Finally amongst their misery the guys had something to look out for. Hannibal had proposed to Maggie and although she was taken by surprise she had accepted his proposal. Everyone involved was thrilled and it motivated Murdock and his 'crew' even more to get to the bottom of the case and get the guys' names cleared. Mr. Conway had requested a meeting in private with the judge in his chambers and had explained the situation to him.

The judge was surprised at first to hear about the weddings, but gave his consent nevertheless. A date had been set and the necessary paperwork was being prepared. The judge even allowed B.A.'s mom, Murdock and Mr. Conway to be present at the ceremony.

The day of the ceremony both Hannibal and Face were really nervous. Hannibal was nervously puffing on his cigar and Face was pacing up and down the cell. They were both already dressed in their military uniforms and waiting for their future brides to arrive at the premises.

"Face, would you stop pacing already? You're getting on my nerves."

" _I can't."_

"At least try."

" _I am trying."_

"You ain't tryin', sucker. You'll end up passin' out."

" _I won't."_

"Listen to me, Lieutenant. Sit down and take a deep breath. It will be okay, son. It's normal to be nervous at your own wedding."

" _I don't think I've ever been this nervous in my entire life. I got stood up once before, remember."_

"You'll be just fin'. Zowie, she loves ya. She ain't gonna dump ya. She cares 'bout ya, Face. Like you care 'bout her. Ain't she the one who asked to do this? It'll be fin'."

Captain Underwood now entered the cell with a few soldiers.

"It's time for your big ceremony, gentlemen," he said. "Can't keep those future wives waiting! Okay. Hold your hands together in front of you so we can cuff you."

"Do you really need to cuff us on our wedding day?"

"Those are the rules, Colonel," Captain Underwood spoke. "The cuffs will be removed at the ceremony. We don't want to take any risks."

B.A., Face and Hannibal did as they were told and were handcuffed. Captain Underwood and the soldiers brought them over to the ceremony room where everyone was already waiting anxiously. As Hannibal was the highest in rank, he and Maggie were married first. Face was Hannibal's best man.

"Do you, John Hannibal Smith, take Margareth Anne Sullivan to be your lawful wedded wife?" The judge asked.

"I do."

Hannibal smiled as he held Maggie's hand in his and his piercing blue eyes were locked onto hers. She looked absolutely beautiful wearing a very simple white blouse and skirt.

"Do you, Margareth Anne Sullivan, take John Hannibal Smith to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do."

"By the power investigated in me, I now declare you husband and wife."

Maggie was smiling insanely happy to finally call John her husband.

Hannibal gently slid the wedding ring on her finger and she did the same. They shared a tender, loving kiss. Face nervously swallowed the lump in his throat as it was his turn now. Hannibal was his best man. The door to the room opened and in walked Zowie on Murdock's arm wearing a very simple, white dress in satin and lace. The sight took Face's breath away. Murdock winked at his best friend to reassure him. Zowie was smiling happily already and he couldn't help but smile back at her. Even the judge was speechless for a minute …

"Do you, Templeton Arthur Peck, take Zowie Catherine Stockwell to be your lawful wedded wife?"

" _I do."_

Face never once took his eyes from his beautiful bride.

"Do you, Zowie Catherine Stockwell, take Templeton Arthur Peck to be your lawful wedded husband?"

"I do."

"By the power investigated in me, I now declare you husband and wife."

Face nervously slid the ring on Zowie's finger and she did the same. They were finally married and couldn't be happier. Face eagerly pulled her in for a kiss.

" _God, I love you Zowie. I love you so very much. You are so gorgeous."_

"I love you too, Temp, my handsome husband."

There was a small reception for the wedding party and everyone present congratulated the happy couples.

"You did it, Facey. You got married! Who would believe the Faceman would actually tie the knot one day."

" _Yeah, well I did and it feels really good. And it's going to get even better once we have our baby. That is if we ever get out of here."_

"Off course we'll get out of here."

" _Do you have a plan, Colonel?"_

"No, I'm counting on Murdock and his crew to get us out of this mess. I want to live happily ever after with the Misses and maybe throw a big wedding party outside of the stockade too."

"We're working on it, Hannibal. It's clearly a set up and the army is paying off people to make you guys look guilty as hell. Somehow we have a reason to believe that Morrison knew what Curtis was up too and probably also the other way around. They might have been blackmailing one another, but they were certainly setting you guys up to take the fall. We only need a little more time to prove it and maybe squeeze a confession from that Vietnamese Colonel," Zowie explained.

"What about your dad? Does he know about all this?"

"No, I haven't seen him for a while. I refused to go home and see him ever since you guys got thrown in jail. So he doesn't know I'm married and he certainly doesn't know about the baby."

"What I wouldn't give to see his face. The general's daughter married to a fugitive and even carrying his unborn child. Nice one, Face."

He merely rolled his eyes.

Murdock and his team were even more determined now to find evidence about the team's innocence. Zowie suggested to break into her father's office to snoop around. She and Murdock managed to get in and find a file on the team. The file stated clearly that Curtis was into drug and gun smuggling and apparently Morrison had found out about that. So they came to an agreement: Morrison wouldn't say a thing and Curtis would offer him a cut of the deals. But then Curtis found out about Morrison working for the enemy as an NVA officer. So now he wanted to blackmail Morrison. He had an argument with Morrison on the subject in the latter's office, but he was afraid the A-team would return from their mission. Morrison waved the piece of paper with his orders to rob the Bank of Hanoi in Curtis' face. He laughed out loud and told him he'd taken care of Smith's team. He made some arrangements with the Vietcong Colonel Van Quyet and they would capture the team to embarrass the US. They wouldn't get out of there alive. Morrison showed no remorse for sending the team to meet their death. Curtis was shocked! He swore he would tell someone, but Morrison yelled that he would send the Vietcong after him as well. That's why Curtis pulled the trigger and killed his superior officer. The enemy shelling conveniently covered up the murder at the time. Murdock and Zowie couldn't be happier to find this folder. Al they had to do now was show it to the judge and jury at the trial. They had the actual prove that the team was innocent in their very own hands. All they needed now, was to get their hands on Colonel Van Quyet …


	8. Chapter 8

**CHAPTER 8**

And even that went fairly easy. They were able to track his address from the file on the military base. He was working undercover in a Chinese restaurant and Murdock and the ladies were able to throw him in a dumpster and take off with him when he tried to escape from them. They told him what they found out and make him admit to it which he did.

Murdock and the ladies were insanely happy. They did it! They pulled it off! It would be easy from now on. They would show the folder to the judge and jury the very next day and put Van Quyet on the stand to clear the team's name. Piece of cake!

If only they knew …

The very next morning at the trial the prosecutor wore a smug smile on his face.

" _Hannibal, I don't like the look of that."_

"Yeah, man. He ain't lookin' happy for no reason. Bet ya they're about to nail us. Better start on that plan to get us outta here, Hannibal."

"Any idea what they're up to?" Hannibal asked Mr. Conway.

"I wouldn't worry too much about him," he answered. "I happen to know that Murdock and Zowie managed to get their hands on some very important material. They've also located Colonel Van Quyet himself."

Mr. Conway immediately addressed the judge. He told them how his team had managed to get their hands on some interesting material, although he kept to himself how they did just that. He also asked if he could put Colonel Van Quyet on the witness stand for cross-examination.

Van Quyet answered the first couple of questions honestly, but then began to change his story entirely.

"Hey, you're lying," Murdock muttered. "That's not how it happened and you know it. The guys were nowhere near that base, so Hannibal couldn't have killed Morrison. They were in Hanoi at that time trying to put an end to the war."

"How do you know I'm lying," Van Quyet snapped. "You were not even there, Captain. You were flying that helicopter of yours."

"I just know, man. They're my unit. I dropped them off. They were nowhere near that base. Besides, we have evidence to prove that the A-team is innocent in all of this."

"Oh do you?" He shot back.

"Yes, we do. It's right here," Murdock said as he walked over to the briefcase where they kept the folder hidden safely.

He opened up the briefcase to find it empty.

"What? No, no, no …," he exclaimed. "It was right here. We just got it yesterday and we kept it hidden safe."

"Do you have the evidence you're referring to or not?" The judge asked getting impatient by now.

"No … He stole it. He must have stolen it and he probably destroyed the evidence too. Didn't you?" His voice sounded ice cold.

"You have nothing, Captain. You can't prove a thing. But I can. I was there. I've overheard the team talking to Morrison as they found out he was working for the enemy. That way he became the enemy and you kill the enemy during a war. That's what they did: Colonel Smith, Lieutenant Peck and Sergeant Baracus all shot Morrison. They murdered him in cold blood."

It was very quiet by now in the court room. The judge and the jury retreated to their chambers to talk about the verdict.

"No. No, no, no," Murdock cried out. "This can't be happening."

"My baby Scooter," Mrs. Baracus cried.

"Temp was right all along," Zowie said as tears ran down her pale cheeks. "The army is out to get them. It's a set up. I don't want to lose him."

"What will happen to them now? Will they be sentenced to 30 years in prison?" Maggie asked trying her best to comfort Zowie despite her own sorrow.

"I … I really don't know," Murdock said.

The jury had retreated shortly to talk things over and they now returned. Everyone held their breath.

"Did you come to a conclusion?" The judge asked the jury as the guys were made to stand up before the trial.

"Yes, we have your honor," the President of the Jury said. "We find the accused: Colonel John Smith, Lieutenant Templeton Peck and Sergeant B.A. Baracus guilty of murdering Colonel Morrison, robbing the Bank of Hanoi and deserting the U.S. Army."

Guilty! It was as if the world stood still! They were found guilty of crimes they didn't even commit. They would end up in prison for 30 years at least. It was all becoming a blur to Face. He had never been this nervous in his entire life.

"Could you please explain to the accused what there punishment will be?" The judge said once again.

"Colonel Smith, Lieutenant Peck, Sergeant Baracus. As you have been found guilty of murder, we have sentenced you to be put to death. You will face a firing squad. The sentence will be executed shortly. You will remain in the stockade until the execution."

" _Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!"_

Zowie let out a heartbreaking scream. They couldn't do that to her, to Temp. They loved one another. She was having his baby. The ladies all broke down and cried their eyes out and Murdock merely shut his eyes.

B.A. had also closed his eyes. Hannibal was furious. And Face? Well it seemed as if the world had stopped spinning. All he could hear was the frantic beating of his own heart. They were gonna shoot him! He would never get to live a 'normal' life with his wife and baby. The baby! His child would grow up without a father just like he did. Life was so unfair! He got so worked up he forgot to breathe.

As Face was the closest thing to a son he ever had and he truly cared about his second-in-command Hannibal looked at him worriedly. Face was a ghostly pale by now and seemed to be completely out of it.

"Kid, are you alright? Face? Are you with me, son?"

Hannibal noticed that Face was about to lose consciousness. He was able to grab him before he tumbled down and gently laid him on the cold floor in the courthouse. He loosened up his tie and the button of his collar and kneeled down beside him while B.A. did the exact same thing.

"Poor kid lost it," Hannibal said. "He has been under too much pressure."

He softly ran a hand through Face's blond hair.

"It's okay, kid. I've got ya," he softly said.

"Don't say that, sucker. It ain't gonna be alright. We're gonna die 'cause of their lies."

They were taken back to their cells. Some of the MP's carried Face to the cell and put him down on his bed. Hannibal was with him right away. Nobody had been allowed to get to them in the courtroom after their sentence. But they would be allowed to spent private time with their loved ones as usual until the day the sentence would be executed.

As Face was regaining consciousness, he was lying on his back on his bed in the cell.

"Hey, kid. How are you doing?"

" _I feel just wonderful, Colonel. Just wonderful!"_

"Yeah, sucker. What kind of a stupid question is that?"

" _My life is going great. I am married to the girl I love and about to become a dad and I'll be death pretty soon. Shot down for something I didn't even do. So how do you think that makes me feel, huh Hannibal?"_

"I'm sorry, kid. But don't worry! This is not over yet! We won't go down without a fight."

"What'ya mean?"

"I'll come up with a plan to get us out of here. You just hang in there, kid."

"Better be quick, man."

As soon as the guards noticed that Face was conscious again they were forced to get dressed into their army fatigues in order to be able to spend their private time. Face still looked deadly pale and his heart was beating so fast he could swear people would be able to see it beat beneath the t-shirt of his army fatigues. What was he going to say to his wife? He paced nervously up and down the room until the door opened and in came Zowie. As he turned around he could see her tearful face and it broke his heart.

"Oh Temp." Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

" _Baby."_ He couldn't get any further. All the pent up emotion just kind of exploded. Although he tried to hold back he couldn't. He just couldn't. So he broke down and cried.

Zowie ran up to him and pulled him in her arms without saying a word. She ran her hands through his blond hair soothingly. She felt his heart beating frantically and knew how upset he truly was. This was so unfair! He had done nothing wrong! He had been in the army at a far too young age and now he had to pay for things he didn't do. He was a good man! He helped innocent people and they were just married. They had their whole lives ahead of them: settling down, raising a family, … They couldn't take all that away from them. Zowie noticed that Face had to practically gasp for air.

"I know how much you're hurting, baby. Believe me I do. But you have to keep breathing, Temp. You'll pass out again if you don't control your breathing."

She took his head in both of her hands and made him look at her. Tears were flowing down his pale cheeks.

"It's good to let the pain out, but we have to focus on your breathing. You're hyperventilating. You need to snap out of it. Look at me and do as I tell you. Take deep breaths: in through your nose and out through your mouth. Real deep breaths! That's it! You're doing great!"

He was still upset, but he did manage to get a hold on his breathing. He pulled his wife in his arms and held onto her. They were both crying.

"It's so unfair. You did nothing wrong," Zowie sniffled. "We had the evidence in our hands. All of it. We could have cleared you once and for all. Why? Why did they steal that document and destroy it and made Van Quyet lie on the witness stand. Why do they want you guys death?"

"The army wanted to frame us all along. We never even stood a chance. They hated our unit, Zowie. They've always hated us. I don't know why. All we ever did was follow orders and try to stay alive while doing so. We've risked our necks and now … My life is over … I just … I can't …"

"Baby, don't say that."

"Zowie, they're gonna shoot me. It's all over. Maybe we better get divorced so you can go on with your life. The baby can have your name. Don't let its life be doomed by calling it Peck. I don't want my kid to ever get hurt. Just …. Don't forget about me Zowie. Please? I loved you. I always have and I still do. I will forever."

"Oh, Temp. Don't say that! It's not over. We've got to fight this! I can't have you give up. I won't. I love you. I can't live without you. You're my husband and the father of my child. I will not divorce you. Never! I love you way too much to do that."

"I don't want you to get hurt, Zowie."

"Letting you go will hurt me more. I can't and I won't. I think I have a solution: I need to ask my dad for help."

"General Stockwell? Oh he really is gonna love this! His precious angel being married to a convicted murderer and carrying his child. I think he'll wanna pull the trigger on me himself."

"Don't say that. He doesn't hate you."

"He hardly likes me either."

"He thinks your stubborn, that you have a big mouth and lack respect for superior officers. But he also knows you're a highly skilled officer and a very bright person."

"He thinks I'm a no good and liar and cheater all of the time."

"You know that's not true! You are the sweetest, kindest guy I know. So maybe you had a difficult childhood. That's hardly your fault. And maybe you had to lie to get where you are now to even stand a chance. To the world and to me you are a hero, you and the rest of the A-team. No matter what they say about you, you are the 'good' guys. You've helped so many people in need while you were on the run. That should count for something too. You need to stay positive now, baby. You'll be a dad. This baby needs you. I need you. And I am going to get you out of this mess even if it's the last thing I do. I won't let them execute you! I promise you that. Trust me!"

"I do, baby. I do trust you. And I love you so very much. I guess we'll just have to pray for some sort of miracle to happen."

Zowie knew the conversation with her father would be hard. Extremely hard! But she was a stubborn girl and she truly loved Face. She would do whatever it takes to get him and his friends out of this mess and she would make her father help them. Somehow!

"Zowie. Carla said you wanted to see me," Stockwell said.

"I do, dad. We have a big problem."

"What are you talking about, Zowie?"

"I'm talking about the A-team."

"The A-team? What about the A-team? They were convicted by the jury and sentenced to be put to death. They are criminals. Justice is done after all these years. Why do you want to talk to me about that issue?"

"You know that's bull, dad. I know. I've seen the file. I know they're innocent. They've been set up."

"What are you talking about, Zowie? What is this all about?"

"You can't let this happen."

"Zowie Stockwell, what has gotten into you? Why should you care about these men?"

"Because, dad, I'm having a baby. I'm pregnant."

"Pregnant? What do you mean you're pregnant? How … ? Who …?"

"Temp."

"Temp? Who is … Oh no … Zowie, please don't tell me … How stupid can you be?"

"I'm not stupid, dad. We're in love."

"Zowie, he got you pregnant. How could you? You're a doctor for heaven's sake. You know what to do. How could you let him get to you like this? Lieutenant Peck is a liar and nothing but a liar. He doesn't love you. He is a ladies man. He doesn't commit to anyone, Zowie. Get rid of that baby."

"What? Absolutely not! How can you even suggest that?"

"Okay, fine. Have it your way, but that baby better not have his last name."

"This child is a Peck, dad, whether you like it or not."

"I don't like it one bit, young lady. I will not have my daughter carrying that man's child. He is …"

"Too bad, dad. He is part of the family now whether you like it or not. Templeton Peck happens to be my husband. We got married."

"What?"

"You heard me. I married Temp. We love each other very much."

"When?"

"While he was in jail. The judge granted us permission and Hannibal and Maggie got married as well. I've asked him to marry me after I found out about the baby."

"You asked him to marry you? Zowie? Are you insane? I can get you out of this marriage. We need to get you out of this. I will have Carla start on the paper work to get this wedding annulled or have you divorce him."

"No you won't, dad. I have no intention whatsoever to divorce Temp or to get rid of the baby. That's where you come in. I want you to pull some strings and get them out. You know they've been set up. The army wanted to frame them all along."

"What if I refuse to do that?"

"That's simple. I can't live without Temp. I just can't. I don't want him getting killed. I'd never survive losing him. They are innocent. I know they are. They should get their pardons and be able to live normal lives. You have to help them. If you don't then I'll never want to see you again and you'll never get to see your grandchild."

"Zowie …"

"I mean it, dad. If you want me to be part of your life, you'll help the guys."

"I can look into their case, but …"

"No, get them out of there, dad. I know you can do it. I don't care how just get him out of there."

She turned around and ran out of his office. Tears were streaming down her face. She passed Carla on the way, but didn't say a word. Carla quickly made her way over to Stockwell's office.


	9. Chapter 9

**CHAPTER 9**

"What happened, sir? I ran into Zowie and she was crying."

"Crying? So it is true. She meant it."

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know what you're talking about."

"My daughter has married Templeton Peck."

"Lieutenant Peck? Zowie? How? When?"

"They were married in jail and she is carrying his child."

"Oh … I see."

"They really seem to mean it and I do not want to lose my daughter over this. Especially since I do know the team is innocent. We have seen prove of that. So we'll proceed in giving them a hand at their escape as planned."

"Are you going to tell Zowie?"

"No, I can't. She can't now beforehand. It's too risky. This mission to get the A-team out of that stockade cannot fail. Get Captain Underwood on the phone. I want to talk to all of the prisoners in private in an hour. And I need to have a word with Captain Murdock too. I think we can trust him as he is a part of the team and he'll keep his mouth shut to save his friends. But no one else can know about this. Is that clear?""

An hour later, Stockwell walked towards the prison cell were the team was being held.

"What do you want, Stockwell."

"We ain't talkin' to ya, man."

"That's right."

"Oh, I think you want to hear what I have to say, because it's good. I have a proposition for you to get you out of this mess."

"Get us out of this mess? What is this?"

"I know you're innocent."

"Say what?"

"I have seen the evidence too. I knew all along that you were indeed innocent."

"Oh great. That's just great! Couldn't you have come up with that before we were convicted and sentenced to death?"

"No, Lieutenant. I couldn't. See the army wanted to frame you no matter what. You didn't stand a chance."

"So I've noticed. So what makes you want to help us now?"

"Well, if you must know, Lieutenant. Zowie came to talk to me. It seems like you're part of the family now."

"Yeah, I guess I am. Look Stockwell, I know you're not really fond of me but I do love your daughter very much and the baby too."

"So you really do love her?"

"I've never loved anyone like I love Zowie. Apart from our baby that is."

"So, do we have a deal? Do you want me to get you out of here?"

"Yeah, sucker. Sure we do! What kind of stupid question is that? How?"

"Yeah. How are you gonna pull that one off, Stockwell? This is getting interesting indeed."

"I'm kinda curious too."

"Well. I need to know whether we have a deal first. What about it, Colonel? Lieutenant? Sergeant?"

Hannibal locked eyes with the guys and knew they all needed to grab the chance. It could be the only chance they got.

"Okay, Stockwell. You have a deal. What do we do? How do we escape from this joint without getting hurt?"

"You don't."

"What?"

We'll have to go through with the execution. We have no choice!"

"Stockwell, I thought you said you wanted to help my men and me. We don't need your help once we're dead."

"I get your point, Colonel. Not to worry! You won't actually get shot down for real. You see, I have a man on the inside who will swap the bullets at the execution for fake bullets. The only damage they'll do to you is some possible bruising. You'll each get a blood patch used in the movies to put underneath your fatigues. As you won't be wearing any protection of any kind, it will sting a lot on impact. I apologize, gentlemen. It does, however, look very realistic. You'll also be given a drug to suppress your respiratory system so you'll appear dead after the execution. It only works briefly and there are no major risks. You need to swallow this pill seconds before they shoot you. My men will come and pick up your 'bodies' and bring you over to the hospital so we can check you out. What about that, gentlemen?

"Sound like a plan to me?" Hannibal smirked.

"It ain't too bad."

"What do you think, kid?"

"I'll do anything to see Zowie and the baby again."

"There is just one thing. No one can know about this! That means, you can't say anything to your loved ones. The only one who does know is Captain Murdock as he is involved in all of this. We can't risk the operation at all or we will fail. I know it's hard. Believe me, I do."

"I ain't never lied to momma before."

"I know, Sergeant. I don't like to do this to the new Mrs. either. Maggie sure isn't gonna like this. But Stockwell has a point there. If they talk, we're doomed. We can't risk this operation. I'm sure your momma will understand that once she sees you're safe and sound afterwards."

"Yeah, you're right. I'm in."

"What about you, kid?"

"Zowie doesn't know either, Lieutenant. It's better that she doesn't know exactly what's going on. Don't worry! She'll be mad at me, not you. I'll explain that you weren't allowed to spill anything regarding the mission as to not jeopardize it. She'll understand. She's a smart girl. And I'm pretty sure she'll be thrilled to see you're still alive."

"Count me in."

A few days had passed and a date was now set for the execution. The A-team would be executed at the stockade on Saturday morning at 8 O'clock. The day before the execution, the guys were allowed to spend a day with their loved ones in private to say their goodbyes.

It was a very emotional day for all of them as they weren't allowed to say anything at all concerning the mission.

Mrs. Baracus was crying because she was about to lose her only son who was innocent and who still had his whole life ahead of him. Maggie was mad at the army for framing her husband and his unit for crimes they didn't commit and she also cried because they only got to be together for a short while. Zowie was furious at her dad for not doing anything at all to save her husband and his team. She also felt as if she had let Face down. The worse part was when she completely broke down and cried about losing the love of her life and the father of her unborn child. This was hard on Face as well! He so badly wanted to tell her everything would be alright, but he couldn't.

"I hate saying goodbye to you, Zowie. I do. But I want you to know that I've never loved anyone like I love you. I'm serious. I want nothing more than to grow old with you and have a few more kids. But your life doesn't need to end here, Zowie. You're still young. You can meet someone else and fall in love and be happy again."

"No, Temp. I could never love anyone like I love you."

"Maybe with time you'll learn to love again. I hate to see you unhappy, Zowie. And you have to think about our baby."

He very gently put his hand on her belly.

More tears were shed when they finally had to say goodbye to one another. The guards practically had to break the tender embraces of both couples and of the mother and her son. Lots of 'I love you's' were exchanged and then they were alone again. They were brought back to their cell to have their last meal.

"Man, I ain't liking this. See my momma cry like that. And there ain't a damn thing I can say to her."

"I know what you mean, B.A. Maggie was mad at first, but she ended up crying too. Saying goodbye to her was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. What about you, kid? How are you hanging in there?"

"I'm so worried about Zowie. She was hysterical. I couldn't get her to calm down and I'm really worried about the baby."

"I know it hurts, kid. But we have no choice remember."

After their last meal, the guys were allowed a surprise visit by their former team mate Murdock. Stockwell had arranged that. The guys were left alone to talk to him and so Murdock was able to hand them each their blood patch and drug. He explained them exactly what would happen to re-assure them. Once they would swallow the drug, they would start to feel very dizzy and sleepy. This was a normal effect of the pill. When they would be checked out by the army's medical officer, it would appear that they had stopped breathing and that their heart had stopped beating. There were no bad side effects besides feeling a bit disorientated at first, tiredness, dizziness and nausea. He also told his best friend that Stockwell would have a doctor present to check on their condition afterwards as he knew about Face's reaction towards medication in general.

After a while, Murdock said his goodbyes to his friends. He would be present at the execution as well as all the ladies and he explained how he would take care of them afterwards.

After a rather restless night, the guys woke up the next morning. Hannibal went over the procedures with his team mates one last time. They had gotten breakfast and seen a priest. It was now getting close to the actual execution.

"Are you okay, kid?"

"I'm nervous. Suppose this doesn't work?"

"It'll work. You ain't got nothin' to worry about, Face. Trust me!"

"B.A. is right, Face. Just do what you're told and it will be okay."

They shook hands and embraced and told one another they would meet again on 'the other side'.

They had all taped the blood patch beneath their shirt so it wasn't visible at all and they hid the drug underneath their tongue as they were led out towards the execution scene. A guard each brought them to stand in front of a wooden pole. Their hands were cuffed in front of them. They all noticed Murdock and the ladies watching them from a distance. Everyone was crying as the soldiers were all brought in to stand in front of the guys.

Captain Underwood started to read the charges.

"The court of law has decided that: John Hannibal Smith Colonel US Army, Templeton Arthur Peck first Lieutenant US Army and Bosco Barracus Sergeant US Army are sentenced to death by firing squad at this stockade."

There was even more crying by now. The guys knew it would only be seconds before the soldiers would take aim. Hannibal locked eyes with his Lieutenant at first and his Sergeant afterwards as if to indicate that they needed to swallow the drug. They all got the message.

"Ready! Aim!" Captain Underwood shouted.

"Love ya momma."

"I love you, Mags."

"I love you and the baby, Zowie. I'll never forget you."

The soldiers pulled the trigger and several shots rang through the air. The last thing Face heard before the lights went out was Zowie screaming hysterically. Maggie pulled her in for a hug and closed her eyes as the soldiers fired their shots. Murdock embraced Mrs. B. Everyone had his or her eyes closed firmly by now as if to block out what was happening.

Captain Underwood ordered the soldiers to retreat. It was all over! As everyone opened their eyes again, they noticed how three lifeless bodies were lying on the ground. The group ran over to the bodies of their loved ones. Mrs. Baracus knelt beside her boy's death body and gently stroked his cheeks while crying. Maggie ran up to Hannibal's body and ran her hand through his grey hair while crying as well.

"Temp, no. No! You can't die. No please!"

Zowie was hysterical as she nearly fell down beside Face's limp body. Tears were streaming down her pale cheeks. She grabbed his head and cradled it into her lap as she kept running a hand through his blond hair. Murdock tried his best to comfort her.

"No. No. No. He can't be dead. He can't be. I can't lose him. Don't do this to me, Temp. I need you. You're my husband and you'll be a dad soon."

The sight broke Murdock's heart, but he couldn't say anything.

"Oh, Murdock. His heart doesn't beat anymore and he is getting cold. He is dead. He is really dead. They took him away from me. My dad killed him. I hate him. I so hate him! I don't ever wanna see him again."

Some men with gurneys and black bags appeared on the scene.

"What do you think you're doing? You can't take him away from me. No! I don't want to let him go. Get away from him. Leave him alone."

"Zowie, they can't leave the bodies lying here. These men are transporting the bodies to the morgue and you can spend some more time with Temp there and say goodbye to him. I promise you. Please, just let these people do their job."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Here we go again with the last chapters already. Thanks a million to those reviewing and/or sticking to the story. Feel free to review these chapters as well. Hope you'll like them

 **CHAPTER 10**

He very gently tried to get Zowie up and away from Face's body. She was still crying hysterically. Meanwhile, Maggie and Mrs. Baracus had joined him. Despite her own sorrow, Maggie tried to calm Zowie down as she was worried about the baby's health. Being in too much stress wasn't really good for an expecting mother.

Murdock guided the group of mourning family members to the boat so they could finally get off the island. He couldn't say a thing until they were safely on the shore again in L.A. The guys' bodies would be transported to a secret location and Stockwell would be there with his medical team. Murdock could only inform the rest of the group about what was going on, once they were in the van and on their way to the secret facility.

Zowie didn't want to leave Face's side even with his body in the body bag. Murdock realized he would have a hard time getting her to leave his body and have her take a seat in the van. Luckily help came from one of the men dressed in black. He calmly explained to Zowie that she couldn't ride back to the morgue with them, but that the family members were allowed to follow in their own transportation.

Maggie and Mama B. supported her as they helped her get into the van. Murdock climbed behind the wheel and drove off. He followed the black car towards the secret location. The ladies in the back of the van were still crying and didn't pay attention to the road. So Murdock was able to park the car and wait for Stockwell's men to unload the bodies and bring them into the facility. After a little while, Zowie noticed that the van had stopped.

"Murdock, why have we stopped? Are we there yet?"

"We're here. But before you get out of the car, ladies, there is something I have to tell you. I couldn't say anything about this before, because of the delicacy of the situation."

"What is it, Murdock? Has it got anything to do with the guys?" Maggie asked hope present in her voice.

"Yes, Maggie it has. Again, I'm sorry I couldn't tell you anything earlier. I can tell you now that you do not need to worry 'bout my guys anymore. They are fine or at least they will be."

All eyes were on Murdock now.

"Your father pulled some strings, Zowie. You shouldn't be mad at him. He came up with an ingenious plan to get the guys out of this mess, because he knows they're innocent. He has seen prove of that with his own eyes."

"My father? But … how? I saw them … shoot … Temp. He … His heart …"

"All part of the plan, Zowie. Your dad had a man on the inside who replaced the real bullets with fake ones. The guys each got a fake blood patch and a drug to suppress their respiratory system. That's why they appeared to be dead, but they're not. Those guys working for the morgue are actually your father's ables and the guys have been brought back here to check them over. As I said, they should be fine. They might suffer some mild side effects, but they're alive. That's what's important!"

"They're alive! Can we see them?" The ladies all exclaimed in unison.

"Sure, we can," Murdock said. "Let's not waste any more time."

They all got out of the van quickly and made their way over to the building .The body bags were opened up, but the guys were still lying down on the gurneys. The doctor had finished checking out B.A. and his mum made her way over to him.

"Oh, Scooter. He is gonna be fine, right? He ain't got nothin'?"

"No, Ma'am. He is doing fine. He is suffering from some mild disorientation, but that's about it. He is coming too as we speak."

The doctor walked over to Hannibal and checked him out as well.

"His heartbeat and heart rhythm is starting to stabilize," the doctor explained to Maggie. "Same thing here. He is a bit disorientated, but that's about all."

He now moved over to Face. Zowie ran off to be with him and she was trying to calm him down. He was tossing and turning on the small gurney. The doctor also checked his heartbeat and heart rhythm.

"How is he?"

"He is regaining consciousness as well."

Face's eyes fluttered open and he blinked several times trying to get a clear view of the situation. The world was still a bit blurry. He had no idea where he was. He vaguely saw someone standing next to him.

"Zowie?" His voice sounded hoarse and hardly above a whisper.

"Yes, baby. It's me. You're okay. You're alive. Alive! You hear me, Temp."

The guys all tried to sit up on their gurneys. Murdock walked up to B.A. and they hugged and he also hugged Hannibal. He wanted to go over to his best friend to hug him as he noticed that Face wasn't looking too good.

"Oh, oh," he merely said.

"What is it?" Zowie asked worriedly.

"It's nothing too bad, but Facey always has a tendency to react badly towards medication and I think he's not feeling too good right now. Right, buddy?"

Face softly nodded. His face was turning a delicate shade of green. Murdock quickly handed his buddy a waste bin and Zowie softly rubbed his shoulders while he threw up. The doctor told the guys to stay seated for a while to make sure they were all doing okay. After a little while, Face stopped vomiting much to his relieve.

At that moment, Stockwell came walking into the facility.

"Ah, gentlemen. It's good to see you alive and well. Or as well as you can be? What's up with Lieutenant Peck? Is something wrong?"

"He is nauseous as a side effect to the drug he swallowed," the doctor explained. "It's nothing too bad. I'm keeping an eye on him."

"Any further bruising or anything similar on anyone?"

"I haven't been able to check that just yet."

"Okay, let's check that right now just to be safe. I don't wanna take any risks. Gentlemen, take of your shirts and your t-shirts too."

"Hey, can't we do that somewhere more private. I mean there are ladies here, you know."

"Lieutenant, now is not the time to get all shy. I bet most ladies have seen more of you already."

The three guys did as they were told. The doctor took a look at B.A. first and Hannibal afterwards, but couldn't find any significant bruising at all. He walked over to Face and immediately noticed serious bruising to his sternum. Face hissed in pain as he tried to touch the bruising.

"How did this happen?" The doctor asked him still checking out the bruise.

"When they shot me I first felt a sting as the fake bullet hit me and another strong sting when the blood patch opened up. I guess that's what caused this bruising."

"You were lucky, Lieutenant. It is only a bruise. It's gonna be sore for a couple of days and it will turn black and blue without a doubt."

"Don't worry, baby. I'll take care of you," Zowie said. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"I'm looking forward to that already."

Stockwell explained that he had a safe place where they could spend some time all together. The large house was on a secluded domain with a big garden and there were was security to keep them safe. The house consisted of four different residential parts: one for B.A. and his mother, one for Hannibal and his wife, one for Murdock and his girlfriend and one for Face and Zowie and the baby eventually. They could hang out together in the kitchen and the living room or on the patio and in the garden whenever they wanted too, but they could also spend some quality time apart. The situation was ideal for the team. Things were starting to look great! Stockwell even promised them that when the time was right, he would approach the right people and get them their well-deserved pardons. But it was a bit too early to try that, so for now they all had to deal with the situation as it was.

And life was good ! They all got along great. Stockwell visited his daughter and her husband and the rest of the team every now and then. He had to get used to having Templeton Peck as a son in law, but for Zowie's sake he tried to make the best of it and so did Face. Stockwell saw how much he loved his daughter and how he did his best to care for his pregnant wife. He was glad to see that she had found her true happiness. Both men also tried to find some way to get along and it worked out.

One night, Stockwell told the team that he had read a file on the actual bank robbery. While the team tried to do justice and protect the innocent from the VC, they had a drug dealing and gun smuggling Captain on their base and a Colonel that secretly worked for the enemy and was paid large sums of money for this. Both these men didn't want their cover blown, so they wanted very badly to get rid of the team somehow as they were the best team the army had. Morrison and Curtis had joined forces in trying to get rid of the team. Morrison found an opportunity for this while working with a Vietcong General named Van Quyet. He would organize a mission for the A-team to rob the Bank of Hanoi and would make sure that they were captured in the act by the enemy. He would make sure that the original order disappeared somehow so they would take the fall for it. Unfortunately, their little 'plan' hadn't worked out and the team managed to escape. Meanwhile, their headquarters took a direct hit and nearly everyone present was either injured or killed. As soon as the team returned to base with the requested sum of money, they were arrested for robbery and treason since the original order had vanished. Curtis had conveniently made sure it disappeared after he killed Morrison. Nobody backed up the story that they were robbing the bank under orders and as Morrison died nobody could ask him anything anymore.

However, Stockwell explained, there had been someone present at that base who had known exactly what was going on and wanted to prove that the team was innocent. The young man was only a soldier and the high brass never even wanted to hear what he had to say. He was sure that the army wanted to get rid of the stubborn Colonel Smith and his unit. The young man had kept copies of documents and sound tapes to prove that the team had been set up indeed. Once they convicted the A-team he also went undercover and kept everything he knew to himself, although he desperately wanted to help these men. Later on and as by accident he met up with Stockwell. Hunt was already investigating what had happened at the headquarters and he was also looking into the case of the A-team. That's when he had contacted Stockwell and shown him all of the evidence he had of their innocence, but he also said that the military somehow wanted to punish the A-team for what had happened. Colonel Smith, Lieutenant Peck and Sergeant Baracus together with their pilot Captain Murdock would have been true heroes and they couldn't handle that those stubborn, insubordinate military men who did whatever they wanted truly ended the war with their heroic actions. Especially the fact that they were popular was something they couldn't handle very well.

"We were popular? How?" Hannibal asked.

"Well you owe that mostly to your Lieutenant, Colonel. He was the one who started the DMZ Tennis Club. Our men could really use some distraction and that's what they got at Lieutenant Peck's club. Starting that club was a very clever move."

"I can totally imagine you doing that, Temp. That's so you!"

"Yeah, well …"

"That's so typically Faceman. He's always out to help someone else."

"Ain't that right!"

"Well, it was a marvelous idea indeed, young man. You should be really proud of yourself. Your tennis club helped lots of young men get through this awful war. We owe you one, Templeton."

"So, you had all this proof to actually clear us?" Hannibal asked.

"I did. But my hands were tied. I knew the military would want to frame you guys. They bribed each and every witness or threatened them if they didn't want to participate. I knew it was out of my hands and that I would have to find a way to get you guys out of that stockade first before I could actually help you. I had an inside man. Convenient, right? We had a plan to get you guys out of their safely. But … I didn't think my precious angel would break into my office and steal your file and bring it to court. That ruined all of our plans. I was certain they were going to convict you as Van Quyet was part of their whole deal. So we had to come up with another plan. I'm glad that one worked out, gentlemen, or we wouldn't be having this conversation anymore."

"Now what? We don't have anything to prove anymore, right?"

"Don't worry about that, Colonel Smith. They only got a copy of the file, but that's not all of it. We also have another copy and the original version and all the audio tapes and I intent to take all this to the President and get you gentlemen your well-earned pardons. And we're already working on that as we speak. Carla is setting up a meeting with the President next week. I'll be seeing him alone at first, but I bet he'll want to talk to all of you before he issues your pardon."


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER 11**

Life went on in the Langley compound. They guys thoroughly enjoyed living there with their loved ones. Hannibal and Face enjoyed married life and everyone was thrilled that Murdock would soon be a married man too. Even though everyone had their own place, they spend most of their time together. Mrs. B. mostly did the cooking and the other ladies helped her with that. Meanwhile, Zowie's belly was growing steadily. The baby and its mum were doing splendidly whenever they had check-ups. Face had been a nervous wreck when they were about to find out the gender of their baby, but was thrilled once he finally knew he would have a daughter.

The couple now had to come up with a name for their precious little angel. One night while lying in bed cuddling, Zowie brought up the subject again.

"You know, Temp. I've been thinking!"

"Hmm. You've been thinking about having another one of these."

"Hey. Let's just start by having this one first, okay."

He smiled teasingly while tenderly rubbing her baby bump.

"I just can't wait to hold her in my arms. I always wanted to settle down and have a couple of kids."

"I know you do and you'll be a perfect dad. I know you will! Our little angel couldn't agree with you more."

As if on cue, Face felt his daughter kick. He smiled at his wife and kissed her.

"I think I came up with the perfect name for her, Temp."

"You do, huh? Well? What is it?"

"What would you think about naming her Leslie? After all, Leslie meant a great deal to you and you'll always have a special bond with her."

Face just looked at his wife, but couldn't utter a single word.

"Temp? Are you okay?"

"Yes. Yes, baby, I'm fine. Leslie, huh?"

He smiled softly. That was something only his Zowie would come up with. Naming their child after his first love. Off course, she knew she didn't need to be jealous as Leslie had become Sister Theresa. Face had told her all about it.

"Leslie Peck. It sure has a nice ring to it."

"Do you like it?"

"Yeah. I do. I really do like it. I just hope Leslie will look just as gorgeous as her mom."

"Or as cute as her dad! She definitely should have your eyes."

"Let's just hope she didn't get my smart mouth. It always got me in trouble when I was younger and I guess it still does."

"I was a headstrong kid. So, I guess we'll have our hands full with her."

"You know what? I don't mind. I always did like a feisty girl."

"Have I told you lately how happy I am that you're still alive? I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Me neither. I'm glad your dad came up with a solution. Let's just hope he'll be able to finally get us out of this mess. I would give anything to be able to live a normal life with you by my side."

"He's working on it. It won't be long now. Have you decided about Leslie's godparents yet?"

"Well, yeah. I guess I have. The guys have been my family for as long as I can remember. So, I'd love for Leslie to have two godfathers: Murdock and B.A."

"What about Hannibal?"

"He'll be her grandfather. I kind of think he'll like that. I don't know about your father, though?"

"Oh. He likes it too. Believe me. I'm sure Leslie will be spoiled by both of her granddads."

Everyone met again the next morning at breakfast. Maggie and Hannibal usually took care of that. Maggie was busy preparing pancakes, bacon and eggs and toast. Hannibal took care of the coffee.

"Morning, Colonel. Hmmm. That sure smells yummy, Maggie."

"Morning, Murdock. Morning, Kelly."

She greeted both Maggie and Hannibal too.

"You're both up bright and early," Maggie said. She hadn't finished preparing breakfast just yet.

"Oh, you know H.M. He can't stay in bed when Woody's on TV."

Maggie smiled. She knew Murdock's antics already. It didn't take long before B.A. and Mama B. entered the kitchen as well.

"Morning, y'all," she said happily.

"Morning," they all replied in unison.

"Did you sleep well, Mrs. B.?" Maggie asked.

"I sure did," she replied. "It's nice bein' with Scooter and his family. I actually like it a lot."

"Yes, you're right," Kelly answered. "I really like this arrangement too. It's nice to have all our friends close by."

"Hey, fool. Watcha doin! I'm sittin' here."

"B.A. Can't you see? You're gonna crush Billy."

"Cut it out, fool. There ain't no dog here."

"Scooter! Leave Murdock alone. There are plenty of seats to sit down on."

"Hannibal, he's talkin' to invisible things again."

"It's alright, Kelly. Never mind him. B.A. always gets grumpy in the morning before he had his first glass of milk. You'll get used to it. Now, B.A. Cool down."

"Cool down? Oh, Hannibal. How can I cool down? He ain't never had no dog. He still is nuts."

Hannibal handed the big Sergeant a glass of milk and he drank all of it at once.

"Come on you big babies," Maggie said laughing. "Knock it off. You guys will need to set an example for that little baby girl pretty soon."

"She is not even born yet and people are already talking about her," Face said as he and Zowie came walking into the kitchen. "She sure takes after her dad."

"Don't flatter yourself, Lieutenant."

They all smiled and sat down at the breakfast table together.

"So, have you decided on a name yet?"

"Yes, Maggie. We did. We talked about it last night and we found a perfect name for our little angel. Right, Temp?"

"Well, I can't take all the credit. Zowie was the one who came up with this name and I … well … I just had to agree since it is such a perfect name for such a perfect baby."

"So what is it, Facey? You've got to tell us."

"We've decided to call her Leslie. Leslie Peck."

"You ain't kiddin'? You name your daughter after your first crush?"

"You know, you big mud sucker you. That's way better than naming her Koochie or somethin' like that."

"I think it's really sweet," Kelly said. "I know Leslie meant a lot to you."

"Yeah, we do. And we ain't interfering, got that Scooter. It's their choice. And Leslie is a fine name for that precious littl' angel of yours."

"I'm sure Sister Theresa will be very proud of you."

"Thanks, Maggie."

"Yeah, kid. I have to agree with my wife. We're all very proud of you too."

"I can't wait for your little bundle of joy to be born, Facey. I'm looking forward to seeing her grow up. We are going to continue to live together like this after those pardons are issued, right?"

"Well, I am all for it, Captain."

Maggie smiled. She knew Hannibal couldn't live without his boys.

"I ain't sayin' no either even if I have to put up with that fool for the rest of my life. I know momma loves this arrangement too."

"What about you, Face? Are you staying?"

"Off course I am. No doubt about that. You guys are my family. Besides, I'm gonna need someone around to change her diaper when my lovely wife isn't here."

"Hey, Jack. I ain't gonna change no diaper when you're around. You better learn to do it. She's yours anyway. You ain't getting' out of this one, sucker."

"Don't worry about that, B.A. I will teach Temp how to change her dirty diapers and feed her bottle. He will do it. Rest assure! And yes, we'll be staying here with you guys. Can't have Leslie grow up without her granddad and grandma or her godparents now can we?"

"Colonel, I would really like you to be Leslie's grandfather. I've always considered you to be the father I never had, so it would mean a whole lot to me if you were a part of my daughter's life too."

"It will be my pleasure, son."

"Murdock. B.A. I would also really love for my brothers to be part of my daughter's life. I'd like for you to be her godparents."

"Sure, Facey. Sure. Absolutely. Can I be crazy uncl' Murdock? Can I?"

"You are crazy alright, fool. Sure Face. I ain't gonna say no. I like it."

"Oh you can be big uncle mud sucker then!"

"What are you talkin' 'bout, fool. I ain't gonna be no big uncle mud sucker. Might scare the poor kid."

"She'll be scared of you, alright."

"Murdock, knock it off. I'm sure B.A. has something else in mind, right?"

"What about uncle Scooter? Ain't that nice?"

"Oh momma."

"It sure has a nice ring to it, Sergeant."

" 'Kay. I guess I can live with that. What 'bout you, Hannibal. You'll be a gramps?"

"Yeah, I guess I will be. It is a real honor too. And anyway, I'll have the easy part. I can spoil her rotten and tell her all about the jazz."

"Oh, Hannibal.

"No, Face. Don't you worry, son. "

Suddenly, the phone rang. Hannibal got up from the table and went to answer it. Although everyone tried to figure out who was on the phone and why, nobody could understand a single word.

Hannibal returned to the breakfast table wearing a huge smile on his face.

"What is it, Colonel? Who was that?"

"That, Lieutenant, was your father-in-law on the phone. He has spoken with the President and he has agreed to grant us all a full presidential pardon. There will be an official ceremony with lots of press. Our names will finally be cleared. Stockwell is on his way over to discuss the details."

When Stockwell finally arrived at the premises everyone was already anxiously waiting for him.

"Good day, ladies and gentlemen. I guess Colonel Smith told you all the good news already. You all are going to be pardoned by the President himself. I have the date here with me. The ceremony will be held at the White House this Friday at 6 and you'll all be invited to dinner afterwards."

"This Friday already? Oh boy. I'll need to contact my tailor straight away."

"Why would you do that, Lieutenant? It's official army business. You should attend the ceremony wearing your Special Forces uniform."

"Why, sucker. We ain't in the army no more."

"You'll be honorably discharged if you like afterwards, gentlemen. But this part still is official military business, unless you want them to keep hunting you down for the rest of your lives. You'll also be compensated for the loss of wages over the years. I wouldn't turn that offer down if I were you, gentlemen."

"A compensation for the loss of wages over the years. What amount of money are we talking about?"

"We are talking about a considerable amount of money, Lieutenant. I suggest you use it wisely."

"You bet. I can use it to support Leslie."

"Support Leslie …"

"Our daughter, dad. We're planning to name the baby Leslie. And I'm afraid her daddy is gonna spoil her rotten. Maybe we chose the wrong name for her. We should have gone with Armani or Gucci or something like that."

"Well, we all could do with some extra money. That's for sure! But we won't be using it to buy our own homes."

"Oh?"

"No, we ain't goin' nowhere, sucker. This place suits us just fin'. We ain't about to leave."

"Well, gentlemen. Then you are in luck, because you can all stay here when you want. The premises will be paid for and we'd also like to offer you all jobs."

"Doing what, General?"

"Doing what you've always done, Colonel. Be the A-team: a bunch of soldiers for hire to help out people in need like you used to. Only this time you'll all get pay checks."

"Nice. I kind of like it! It's what we do best. Chasing the bad guys and nail them in the end. Right, guys? But what about Murdock? Can he join us?"

"I don't see why not. He is as much a part of your team as anyone else."

"What do you think guys?"

"I'm all for it, Colonel."

"That's great, Captain."

"Well, I ain't sayin' no to this. Doin' what we do best and gettin' paid for it. I'm in, Hannibal."

"What about you, son? Are you in too? I still need a second-in-command."

"Off course I am. What else would I be doing?"

"Well, that's settled then. I'll get the drafts ready for your contracts."

"Drafts?"

"Well, I presume you want to discuss your salaries? You are indeed a highly qualified team and high quality comes with a price. So Lieutenant, I think you'd better come prepared. We are open to suggestions."


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER 12**

It was Friday before they knew it. This was it! They would finally get their pardons and no longer be fugitives. Everyone was excited about it! They had all signed their contracts after discussing them with Stockwell. Stockwell's organization would be paying their wages, but Hannibal would be in full command of the team as he had been before. Face was still his second-in-command. The team could handle their own operation just like they used to do, only they could count on some of Stockwell's operatives to do background checks on their clients now. Face had been the one to come up with the numbers for their wages, as he was a mathematical genius and a great negotiator. He had come up with a superb proposition, but he was sure they wouldn't get exactly that amount of money. He had left some room for arguing and negotiating. But his first proposition had been accepted almost immediately. He couldn't have been happier.

Everyone was now getting ready for the big celebration. As Murdock was never charged, he didn't actually have to wear his military uniform. But he wanted to wear it anyway to show he would be a part of the A-team again. Hannibal and B.A. were also already wearing their military uniforms. The ladies all wore evening dresses for the occasion. All they had to do now was wait for Face. The limo would be there any minute now. They all went over to Zowie's and Face's place to check what was going on.

"Oh come on, Temp. You've been in there for almost an hour now."

Zowie was standing outside the bathroom door fully dressed in her evening gown.

"What's the matter?"

"Oh, Hannibal. I'm so glad you guys are here. Temp has been a nervous wreck all afternoon. He won't leave the bathroom."

"Is he sick?"

Hannibal always worried about his second-in-command.

"No, he's just in there taking a shower and getting ready. But since he knows about the press coverage he wants to look his absolute best."

Hannibal merely rolled his eyes. He knew Face was always worried about his looks, even if he was a good looking, handsome guy.

"Face, I'm sure you look just fine. Now come on out, kid. The limo will be here any minute now."

"Yeah Facey, you're gonna miss out on meetin' the President."

"I'll be out shortly. We'll be on national TV, guys. I have to look my very best. I'm just working on my hair. "

"What're you doin' in there, fool? Braidin' it? It ain't supposed to take this long."

"You know, B.A. Perfection takes time you know."

"Don't make me come in there and mess it all up, Face. If you don't come out now, I'm gonna bust through that door. Got it?"

Face emerged from the bathroom straight away looking perfectly handsome in his uniform.

"Now look what you've made me do."

"Face. You look fine, kid. Like you've jumped straight out of a magazine. Now let's get going."

"Stop worrying, Temp. You look great and you smell nice too. Remember, I love you and I'm very proud of you."

They all walked back to the main building where the limo was already waiting for them. Everyone got in and the limo drove up to the White House.

"This is it, guys. Our ticket to freedom."

"It's 'bout time too. Especially since we ain't done nothin' wrong to begin with."

"I'm kinda gonna miss not having Decker chase us around."

"What? Oh, Hannibal. You can't be serious."

"Off course I am, Face. Why wouldn't I be? I so want to see the look on his face when we get our pardons."

"Oh, man. Even now he's on the jazz."

"Just consider yourselves lucky that I don't have to come bust you out of trouble all the time."

"I'm not so sure about that, Murdock. With Hannibal on the jazz, you never know what's gonna happen next."

"What we do know guys, is that this piece of paper will set us free. What more could we possible want? We get to do what we're good at and what we love, get paid for it at all times, we're no longer fugitives and we get to lead normal lives with our loved ones. Don't you guys just love it when a plan comes together!"

THE END


End file.
